Blue Dogs Back Bill to Cut Wasteful Spending

Today, the Blue Dog Coalition endorsed the Taxpayers’ Right to Know Act which passed in the House by voice vote. The bipartisan bill was spearheaded by Blue Dog Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-5), and a version of the bill passed the House unanimously last year. Under the bill, every federal agency will be required to publish an annual report card for each of its programs. Those report cards will then be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, where any overlapping programs will be determined, and recommendations for ways to cut wasteful spending and eliminate identical programs will be made.

“This is the third time the House has passed our bill,” Rep. Cooper said. “People work hard for their money. Congress knows what it should cut; it just needs to do the job. This commonsense bill needs to become law before more taxpayer dollars are wasted.”

“Ensuring a robust 21st century U.S. economy will require Congress to get our fiscal house in order,” said Congressman Jim Costa, co-chair of the Blue Dogs and a cosponsor of the bill. “Today, the national debt is approaching $20 trillion dollars, which is approximately $61,350 per U.S. citizen. The bipartisan Taxpayers’ Right to Know Act would save tax payer dollars and eliminate government waste within federal agencies.  In the 115th Congress, the Blue Dogs will continue our proud tradition of supporting fiscally sustainable policies that focus on economic growth.”