Regardless of who wins the presidential election, the next administration will have enormous power to say how open our government will be. We have organized our priorities for the next administration below, to share where we think our work on executive branch issues will be focused, in advance of the election results. From money in politics to open data, spending, and freedom of information, we'll be working to open up the Executive Branch. We'd love to hear any suggestions you might have for Sunlight's Executive Branch work, please leave additional ideas in the comments below. (We'll also be sharing other recommendations soon, including a legislative agenda for the 113th Congress, and a suite of reform proposals for the House and Senate rules packages.) Sunlight Reform Agenda for the Next Administration:
Continue readingStill No Earmark Moratorium
I’ve been over this before: there is no earmark moratorium. USA Today just proves that even more with this report... View Article
Continue readingThere Is No Earmark Moratorium (Cont’d)
As previously stated, there is no earmark moratorium. Politico reports on the joint work of Sen. Jim Inhofe, earmark fan,... View Article
Continue readingThere Is No Earmark Moratorium
Eliza Newlin Carney has an interesting article in today’s National Journal about the fall of earmarks and how that will... View Article
Continue readingEarmark transparency unwound the omnibus
Slate’s Dave Weigel has a really interesting take on why the omnibus spending bill just stalled in the Senate: The... View Article
Continue readingLoopholes already being sought for earmark ban
Some House Republicans are already looking for a way around the ban on earmarks imposed on the next Congress. These members are rapidly trying to come up with a new definition for earmarks, or directed spending, to skirt the ban.
Politico reports, "[S]ome Republicans are discussing exemptions to the earmark ban, allowing transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and water projects. While transportation earmarks are probably the most notorious — think “Bridge to Nowhere” — there is talk about tweaking the very definition of “earmark.”
Post-Congress Careers: Bob Bennett
The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney had an amusing and mostly accurate run-down on where the retiring and defeated senators of... View Article
Continue readingIt’s Time For Earmark Transparency
As Paul just noted, the Senate just rejected a ban on earmarks. In the absence of an outright, Congress-wide ban... View Article
Continue readingSenate rejects earmark ban 39-56
In a fairly unsurprising vote, the Senate just rejected a two year ban on earmarks by a 39-56 vote. While... View Article
Continue readingThe face of earmark lobbying to come
With the House of Representatives and the Senate Republicans imposing an earmark moratorium and President Barack Obama jumping on the... View Article
Continue reading
59063
