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And the Mystery Senator Is...
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ShareAugust 30, 2006 5:30 PM
A spokesman for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) came forward today and admitted Stevens was the senator who has placed a hold on a bill that would allow U.S. taxpayers to see where their tax money is going.
With several reports of Congressional scandals in the news, two senators proposed a bill that could create a user-friendly, public search engine that would disclose all federal contracts, grants, loans and other forms of government financial assistance.
Operated by the Office of Management and Budget, the free internet database could be used for such searches as "Halliburton," "FEMA no-bid contracts" and "Alaskan Bridges." Results would yield the name, entity, geography, amounts of spending, program sources, services being performed and who in Congress supported which appropriations.
"Technology has made it possible to fulfill our founders' vision of enabling all citizens to understand our nation's finances, investigate abuses and hold elected officials accountable," says Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who along with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), is one of the bill's primary co-sponsors.
Before summer recess, the bill, called the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, was passed unanimously by the Senate Homeland Security Committee and "hotlined," which means the bill was put on the fast track to passage by the Senate. But Sen. Stevens stalled that process by putting a hold on the bill.
"A hold is a Senator objecting to unanimous consent to bring up a bill. It's at least one senator or multiple senators that didn't want this to move too fast right before vacation," explained Steve Ellis, the Vice President of Programs for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan budget watchdog group, before it was revealed that Stevens was the senator who placed the hold on the bill.
And even though some holds are used to give legislators more time after a bill passes in committee, Ellis, like many others, believes that there could be a more nefarious motive behind Stevens' secret hold.
"Some senator is hoping that because the time schedule is so compressed in September it will never come up, and the bill would die in Congress." If used in this manner, Ellis says, secret holds are the "antithesis to freedom and democracy and doing things in a transparent manner."
Congress returns from summer recess in less than a week at which time Sen. Coburn and other senators plan to push the bill by petitioning Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) for a roll call vote in order to override Stevens' hold.
If the Senate leadership doesn't take the reins to push this popular accountability bill, Ellis says it is ultimately the public who may be the victim of this secret hold tactic. "The more that we can understand as to where tax dollars are being spent, the more criticism for wasteful spending, the more engaged the American public can be in the democratic process."
August 30, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (27)
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This database sounds like a good thing for the American Public to keep tabs on "taxpayer" monies. Too bad our so-called "elected officials" don't want us to know where they are choosing for it to go. I don't think anyone reading this is surprised on this type of tactics.
Posted by: dreek | Aug 30, 2006 12:26:06 PM
Current money is on Ted Stevens from Alaska...someone known to seek revenge even years later.
Posted by: tct | Aug 30, 2006 1:17:00 PM
Ted Stevens and Byrd are two of the biggest porkers in the Senate.
Maybe if it is called the Byrd Bill he would let it go through.
Posted by: Clark | Aug 30, 2006 2:40:51 PM
My money is on Ted "Bridge to Nowhere" Stevens holding it up because he'll be embarrassed if taxpayers knew about his next dumb money-blowing pork plan.
Posted by: zeta | Aug 30, 2006 2:46:53 PM
Typical politicians. They seem to forget who they work for. Have you ever wondered why someone would spend 10 million dollars of their own money to get elected to a job that pays 160k a year? It's because of all the power and prestige as well as the money. You know it used to be when you turned on the lights on in the kitchen the roaches would run and hide. Looks like the Politican roaches now have figured out how to keep the lights from being turned on. I say we fumigate them all out of Washington D.C.
Posted by: mike jones | Aug 30, 2006 2:50:58 PM
According to Killfile on newsvine, Senator Ted Stevens is the senator with the hold.
Posted by: bmvaughn | Aug 30, 2006 3:14:56 PM
Really like the database idea, ABC usually does an occasional segment on how are taxes are being wasted.
Since Senator Byrd, is the king of pork barrel, he's probably the mystery senator blocking the bill, with Ted Stevens second, he too has been on a roll spending our money on his pet projects.
Posted by: MASORRELL | Aug 30, 2006 3:20:40 PM
It infuriates me that there is even such a thing as a secret hold in Congress. We have a right to know who is putting a hold on this bill.
Posted by: dsa | Aug 30, 2006 3:31:58 PM
can you say, "bridge to no where, Ted Stevens
Posted by: don | Aug 30, 2006 3:46:05 PM
Steve Ellis sounds like a smart guy. Too bad he's not a senator.
Posted by: jolie | Aug 30, 2006 3:53:36 PM
When I was a manager I would routinely reject any information provided to me by anonymous individuals because I realized that these people lacked a solid moral fiber, the courage of conviction, and most likely were ethically challenged. It appears there are some in the senate who also lacks these most revered of human qualities.
Posted by: Bob Pelton | Aug 30, 2006 4:28:24 PM
Ted Stevens the king S.O.B. of the US Senate. He will do absolutely anything that Big Oil and any of the other mega-corporations that support him ask - including pillaging the land of the people he claims to represent.
The people of the United States should work hard to get him and his robber-baron gang of big money crooks removed from office.
This bill helps everyone in the US in BOTH parties know where OUR taxpayer money is going. The republicans should be ashamed of Ted Stevens.
Posted by: drew | Aug 30, 2006 4:40:09 PM
Aren't we lucky in Oklahoma to have a do-nothing senator like Coburn? He'll never try to bring Federal dollars to Oklahoma. Leaves more money for the rest of the 49 states.
Posted by: Roger | Aug 30, 2006 4:42:59 PM
Just another reason to oust the Republicans in November,, they never learn.
jfg
Posted by: jack gargaro | Aug 30, 2006 4:45:56 PM
The only thing that works is revolution.
Until then we are just sheep.
Posted by: Napolean | Aug 30, 2006 5:26:49 PM
Well looks like the cat or pig is out of the bag -- how long has this Stevens character been in congress -- I would hope his constitutents shape up before his next election. First the bridge to nowhere now this. Just absurd.
Posted by: Paulet | Aug 30, 2006 5:35:49 PM
Of course Sen Stevens doesn't want this bill, isn't he part of the reason we're building a very expensive bridge for almost no one in Alaska?
Posted by: Sharon Fox | Aug 30, 2006 6:05:13 PM
If our elected officials want to hide the work they do, then they can elect somone else to take their place as representatives of their constituency.
Posted by: clyde | Aug 30, 2006 6:26:06 PM
It's ironic that it's a Rebublican trying to put a hold on this bill. I though this was supposed to be the party of fiscal responsibility. Looking at their recent track record maybe they should change their logo from the elephant to the pig. Rebulicans have become the party of pork.
Posted by: John | Aug 30, 2006 6:58:50 PM
As a 25-yr govt natural resources program manager, I think you guys cannot know half the earmarking that's been going on in Congress so those guys, e.g., ole Ted, ole Byrd, who help run this country, can keep their power and personal finances flush. Ted is the 2nd best to Sen Byrd of WV in wasting our tax dollars to benefit their own selfish interests. You would not believe the amount of $$ wasted each year with these "leaders'" pet projects. Google Sen Byrd to see some of his selfishness..
Posted by: Billyv | Aug 30, 2006 9:48:31 PM
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