Jon Kyl, September 25, 2006

Members of Congress have a responsibility to use the taxpayers’ money in a fiscally sound manner. That means prioritizing resources and shifting spending to where they are needed most, thus maximizing the use of every federal dollar.

I have been recognized this year, and in years past, for my disciplined use of taxpayers’ money by several watchdog organizations, including Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union. I have consistently condemned pork-laden legislation, including last year’s transportation funding bill. In that case, it wasn’t because I oppose federal funds being devoted to our federal highways (and I don’t), but because the bill was used as a Christmas tree on which to hang billions of dollars of expenditures for Members’ pet projects. Alaska, the nation's third least populated state, was the fourth largest recipient of federal transportation funds - including millions of dollars for the infamous “bridge to nowhere.”

Even the most obscure programs and seemingly indefensible pork-barrel projects have well-organized, vocal defenders, who pepper Capitol Hill with letters, phone calls, lobbying visits, paid advertising, and more. The average American, on the other hand, is busy earning a living, and has little time to stand up in the name of fiscal restraint and lobby Congress simply for the right to be able to keep more of what he or she earns. With the debate often distorted by this imbalance, even fiscal conservatives - regardless of party - face serious pressure to bend their principles and support programs which, after all, do some good. That’s how we end up with, for example, a “rain forest” in the middle of Iowa that’s federally-funded in a bill ostensibly dedicated to highway construction.

The only reason our federal deficit is actually coming down is because the federal government is raking in record amounts of tax revenue, even with current lowered tax rates in place. In fact, because of lower tax rates, which have stimulated unprecedented growth, Dow Jones recently reported that September 15, 2006 was the single biggest day for one-day tax collections in history.

Now, legislation approved by the House and Senate will help constituents hold their representatives in Washington accountable for how taxpayer dollars are used.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, of which I cosponsored, was approved by the Senate on September 7. It directs the Office of Management and Budget to establish a searchable database that will allow the public to monitor federal spending. This database would provide Americans with a way to scrutinize congressional spending decisions and hold the decision-makers accountable.

It is my hope that, by allowing citizens to see how their money is being used, this bill will put power back into the hands of the people who earned the money in the first place. No longer will Members of Congress be allowed to sneak in pork projects at the eleventh hour, without their actions being noticed. It’s a start.

Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican, represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate. He serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.