Last night's House and Senate votes have managed to avert a government shutdown, but the picture still isn't clear about what transpired. Here are my 4 questions on the budget deal.

The House and Senate both passed HR 1363, as amended by the Senate. That bill is also known as the "bridge" deal, has only a few cuts (~$2Billion), and continues funding government operations for about a week. We know what was in the bridge deal, but we don't yet know what was negotiators agreed to in the larger bill to be passed later this week. Expect enormous scrutiny as soon as the bigger bill becomes public, and for ideological strife at the (too big/too small) cuts.

So the first question is What legislative provisions did negotiators agree to? Everyone is wondering about both policy riders and spending cuts, and we'll have to wait until the big bill is released in the coming days in order to see.

It's been widely reported that contents of the bill weren't the only things negotiated on. If Majority Leader Reid promised to hold Senate votes on, say, EPA regulations, or Planned Parenthood, that's part of the deal that the public should know about. So my second question is What else did negiators agree to?. Reid could promise to schedule votes on Republican priorities, Boehner to support an administration policy, and Obama could have promised anything. Just because we'll know what's in the bills doesn't mean we know what was agreed upon. We should demand to know the complete terms of the agreement, and not accept just the terms presented to us as mutual victories. And if our leaders are unwilling to disclose what they've agreed to, then we should certainly know that too.

Third question: Were e-government initiatives affected? We've been advocating for the websites like USASpending, Data.gov, and the IT Dashboard to continue to exist, since they would have been drastically cut in the first CR (before the Senate Amendment) reinstated at least half of the funding for the e-government fund, which was encouraging. But we don't know yet what was agreed to. The e-government fund was untouched in last night's temporary "bridge", but we'll have to wait and see what's in the bigger bill later this week to see if we've really saved the data.

And my final question: Can't this be done better? This entire negotiation process has been farcically secretive, with OMB gag orders, and disclosure by press conference and planned and unplanned leaks. Both sides went from accusing each other of dishonest manipulation at one moment, to standing proudly together to proudly validate each other's work. And we still don't know what they've agreed to. We discussed this yesterday on the blog too, but last night's burst of productivity did nothing to calm my skepticism about the way this has been handled. House and Senate members basically turned matters entirely over to party leaders, who negotiated in secret with the President, and have yet to disclose what they've agreed to. If no one demands better, this is what we're going to continue to get. On the 2012 budget, and on the debt ceiling.

Broadcastr "is a social media platform for location-based stories. It enables the recording, indexing, listening, and sharing of audio content. Just like in human memory, every story is bound to a place."  Broadcastr simplifies the process of recording your story, allowing you to easily peg it to a location on the map and discovering other shared stories.  Currently the service is in beta, but they were quick to send me an invitation when I signed up.

A brief look at the platform shows stories from all over the world, from the rescue response to the tsunami in Japan to a story about George Moscones's time as mayor in San Francisco. The site adds the context of location and the emotion of human events heard through voice, which isn't always reflected though the written word, lending greater meaning to a story or a movement.

So how does it work? It's simple actually. Either click the 'record' button in the upper left corner or the 'Add a Story' button in the upper right corner. You will then see a screen that will allow you to record your voice through the microphone in your computer in Step 1, add general information about your story in Step 2...

...and pin it to a location on the map in Step 3:

After you've pinned the recording, this is what it will look like on the map -

Using the 'More' and 'Edit' links, you review and change your meta descriptions if necessary.  If you were to do a search for opengov or savethedata, this is what the results would like like on the map -

This platform, even with its weaknesses and quirks, has the potential to add interesting, dynamic context to the stories we share online. Do you have an opengov or savethedata story you want to share? Record it and pin it Broadcastr and we'll highlight the best stories.

As of this morning, more than 3,000 citizens have signed an open letter to Congress to save online transparency programs from a drastic budget cut; this is an increase of nearly 1,000 people in the last two days. Our message is catching on and Congress is starting to pay attention.

For example, Federal News Radio’s latest in a series of excellent reports shows that we have the attention of some of the House’s senior appropriators.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, referring to the House Republicans’ decision to propose a partial restoration of the E-Gov fund as part of a short term continuing resolution, was reported as saying:

I think there is an awful lot that is going to happen between now and when we finally get the government funded for the rest of this year and next year, but certainly there is a recognition that money was needed.

Rep. Jose Serrano, the ranking member of the same subcommittee, reportedly said last week:

The detrimental effect of HR 1 on so many areas of government is clear—and perhaps no more so than on the efforts to ensure the government's IT infrastructure upgrades are proceeding on schedule and on budget....We cannot have a more streamlined, efficient and open government without using the best technology available. Unfortunately the cuts in H.R. 1 to e-government fund will have the unintended consequence of making government less accountable and transparent.

Similarly, yesterday’s Federal News Radio report described GSA Administrator Martha Johnson as remarking that the “e-government fund is critical in keeping these open government tools helping citizens understand how the government works”.

We need to keep up the pressure. Follow the link to help save the data.

Public Letter: Save Online Transparency Programs (updated 4/2/2011)

Online transparency programs will enjoy a reprieve from the chopping block if the short term budget resolution posted late last night by House Republicans were to become law. The latest proposal appears to continue funding the sites at the same level at half the level as last year instead of cutting them to virtually nothing as was originally proposed. In short: our response is working. But we're not out the woods yet.

Under the short term resolution, the Electronic Government Fund, which pays for USASpending.gov, Data.gov, the IT Dashboard, and other tech transparency programs, would be funded at $17m for the remainder of the time the continuing resolution is in effect, i.e., until April 15 the year, which is the equivalent of the $34m annual appropriation it received last year. (I am reading the budget resolution quickly, so I believe the money is for the remainder of the year. But these things are tricky.) The Sunlight Foundation, joined by a coalition of organization and more than 2,000 citizens, have called for these transparency programs to be saved.

This short term continuing resolution would keep the government’s lights on through April 15 and fund the Department of Defense to the end of the year, but contains a number of provisions that many political leaders will be reluctant or unwilling to accept.

If today’s negotiations between House Republicans, Senate leaders, and the President reach an agreement, we will see a second bill introduced in the House before midnight tonight that would fund the government through the end of the year. (Three days must elapse between when a bill is made publicly available and when the House can vote on it under the 72-hour-rule, and the government is scheduled to shut down at midnight on Friday.) We’ll have to keep a close look to see if that long-term agreement would also restore funding to Electronic Government Fund programs.

If today’s negotiations over a long-term solution do not reach an agreement today, the short term resolution still faces political obstacles in the Senate and a possible veto by the president. As part of the negotiations over its provisions, we could see the resolution modified by the Senate and sent back to the House; a failure of both houses to agree would lead to a government shutdown.

All that is clear is that your speaking out is making a difference. Please keep calling and emailing and blogging and writing. Together we can save the data.

• Updated: On the question of whether the E-gov fund was reinstated, as I suspected above, I was reading the legislative language too quickly. The short term continuing resolution would make a pro-rated $17m available to the E-Gov fund for the week between April 8 and 15th -- i.e. around  $886 thousand -- and then would expire. How much money will be available for the remainder of the year, even if the CR passes, is very much open. It's also worth noting that the short term CR would fund the E-Gov at half the level of last year.

This morning Sunlight is sending an open letter to Congress on behalf of 13 organizations and more than 2,000 signatories that calls on legislators to save online transparency programs from budget cuts. With thousands of tweets and phone calls, we’re keeping up the pressure, but more is needed if we are to prevent these programs from going dark. If you haven’t already, follow the link to sign our open letter or be put in contact with your representative.

The cost of defunding USASpending.gov, Data.gov, the IT Dashboard, and other programs is high. These e-government initiatives help the government operate more effectively and efficiently, saving taxpayer money and helping public oversight. They increase economic opportunities for small business. They also increase citizen knowledge of and involvement in the democratic process. An open and accountable government is a prerequisite for democracy

We’ve been receiving a lot of media coverage in the last few days -- NPR’s Marketplace, Le Monde, the Huffington Post, Politico, The Washington Examiner, The Dallas Morning News, and many others -- but it’s not enough.

Congress will debate a budget bill that could enact these cuts in the next few days, unless they punt for a week while behind-the-scenes negotiations finish playing out (or the negotiations collapse and the government shuts down.) In any scenario, now is the time to make Congress hear your voice, before it is too late. Keep up the pressure.

Save Online Transparency Programs

While members of Congress and the White House debate whether $33 billion is the right amount by which to cut the federal budget, the rest of us are focused on where these cuts will fall. For our part, we’re trying to save the $34 million that funds Obama-era tech innovations -- like Data.gov, USASpending.gov, and the IT Dashboard -- from the budget ax. And we’re not alone.

For example:

• The creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, is encouraging everyone to sign our open letter to Congress
• A bevy of editorials and news reports -- from the Washington Examiner to the Dallas Morning News to Federal News Radio to Read Write Web -- are drawing increasing attention to the cuts

• And we’re giving Charlie Sheen a run for his money with hundreds if not thousands of tweets at #savethedata (& we’re #winning!)

So how can you help? Go to our website to sign our letter to Congress, write a letter to the editor, and spread the word via Facebook or Twitter. For more information, read my original report, our open letter, and this update from yesterday.

Federal News Radio has an interesting follow-up to my interview with them yesterday on the budget technopocalypse. I wrote last week that Data.gov, USASpending.gov, and other Obama tech innovations face virtual extinction because it appears that Congress will cut their collective budgets from $34m to $2m. We and many others are sending an open letter to congress in an effort to save these vital transparency programs.

Federal News Radio executive editor Jason Miller reports on the stakes:

One government official, who requested anonymity because they didn't get permission to discuss the topic, said funding will begin to run out on April 20 for public sites IT Dashboard, Data.gov and paymentaccuracy.gov. The source said OMB also is planning on shutting down internal government sites, including Performance.gov, FedSpace and many of the efforts related the FEDRamp cloud computing cybersecurity effort.

The official said two other sites, USASpending.gov and Apps.gov/now, will run through July 30 but go dark soon after. "We need at least another $4 million just to keep USASpending.gov operating this year," the official said. "We are looking at a pass-the-hat approach, but it could be challenging to get that done in time."

Rep. Serrano weighed in:

"The detrimental effect of HR 1 on so many areas of government is clear—and perhaps no more so than on the efforts to ensure the government's IT infrastructure upgrades are proceeding on schedule and on budget," said Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. "We cannot have a more streamlined, efficient and open government without using the best technology available. Unfortunately the cuts in H.R. 1 to e-government fund will have the unintended consequence of making government less accountable and transparent."

As did Senator Lieberman:

"Economic conditions demand wise budget decisions, but cutting money from multiple federal IT programs is penny-wise and pound foolish," said Leslie Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which Lieberman is the chairman of. "Programs that modernize technology ultimately improve management and save taxpayers billions of dollars. Transparency and e-government programs encourage public participation in government. Small investments in IT modernization can reap enormous rewards, which is why Senator Lieberman opposes the proposed cuts to the e-gov fund and the administration's IT reform efforts."

I’ll keep you updated as developments happen.

Today we are releasing an open letter to congressional leaders in an effort to save vital transparency programs. In light of quickly evolving circumstances, we prepared the following document and are encouraging organizations and individuals to sign-on. Please add your names and organizations in the comments. Later on we will transmit the final version with the signatories.

Last week I wrote about proposed cuts to the Electronic Government Fund that would effectively defund Data.gov, USASpending.gov, the IT Dashboard, and other programs. Time is running out for Congress to pass a budget for FY 2011, and a rush to avert a government shutdown may result in these programs falling by the wayside. We cannot afford to let the government's transparency efforts go dark.

Open Letter: Congress Must Protect Transparency Programs in Budget Negotiations

Data.gov, USASpending.gov, and other Obama tech innovations face virtual extinction if the FY 2011 budget bill passed by the House of Representatives in February or considered by the Senate in March becomes law. The funding source for these e-government initiatives is the Electronic Government Fund, a $34 million bucket of money that would be drained to $2 million for the remainder of this fiscal year. The House and Senate’s inability to agree on long-term budget legislation has kept these initiatives alive at FY 2010 levels.

Some projects facing defunding include the recently-launched cloud computing initiative, the information repository data.gov, the government-spending reporting site USASpending.gov, citizen engagement tools, and online collaboration tools. Altogether, six project areas apparently will be affected by the cuts. Vivek Kundra, the Federal CIO who is responsible for allocating the Electronic Government Fund, will have to make some very difficult choices.

Although the Electronic Government fund was never allocated the kinds of money envisioned by the authors of the E-Government Act of 2002, starting in FY 2010 the fund was beefed up to $34 million by the incoming Obama administration and Democratically-controlled Congress. Funding levels for the past decade hovered around $2-3 million.

The funding necessary to keep these programs in place is illuminated by the IT Dashboard, one of the spending-tracking initiatives under Vivek Kundra's leadership. According to the Dashboard, over the last few years data.gov has cost $8.3 million; the cloud computing initiative has cost $1.4 million; and USASpending.gov has cost $13.3 million -- the legislation creating USASpending.gov was co-sponsored by Senator Coburn and then-Senator Obama.

The returns from these e-government initiatives in terms of transparency are priceless. They will help the government operate more effectively and efficiently, thereby saving taxpayer money and aiding oversight. Although we have significant issues with some of these program’s data quality, and we are concerned that the government may be paying too much for the technology, there should be no doubt that we need the transparency they enable. For example, fully realized transparency would allow us to track every expense and truly understand how money -- like that in the electronic government fund -- flows to federal programs. Government spending and performance data must be available online, in real time, and in machine readable formats.

Ultimately, it’s unlikely that either budget bill will be enacted into law in their current forms. But there is reason for alarm. Each house has considered providing only $2 million for the Electronic Government Fund, although the six continuing resolution have so far sustained current funding levels on a pro-rated basis. Looking ahead, the Administration called for $34 million in its budget request for FY 2012. The unsettled financial climate means that we can expect this funding fight to continue.

An open and accountable government is a prerequisite for democracy, and keeping these programs alive costs a mere pittance when compared to the value of bringing the federal government into the sunlight.