Tomorrow at 10 AM the Senate Rules and Administration Committee will hold a hearing on Sen. Russ Feingold's bill to require Senators to file their FEC reports electronically. As documented in many different places this would save taxpayers at least $250,000 and would make tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions much more accessible and available to journalists, bloggers, and the public at large. It's a win-win. If haven't called your Senator to ask them if they support the bill (S. 223) you should. And report back to us (info@sunlightfoundation.com) about where they stand.

This is the first hearing into the bill which will be followed by a markup in a couple of weeks. The key for this bill to advance is for it to be unencumbered by other campaign finance related amendments. The bill must be reported out amendment-free or else it risks being defeated on the floor in the Senate.

Check out the Campaign Finance Institute for a wealth of research and information into this subject. (I've listed the current co-sponsors and the Rules and Administration committee members below the fold.)

Co-sponsors:

Wayne Allard (R-CO)

Joe Biden (D-DE)

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Thad Cochran (R-MS) – committee member

John Cornyn (R-TX)

Chris Dodd (D-CT) – committee member

Pete Domenici (R-NM)

Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Dick Durbin (D-IL) – commitee member

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – committee chairwoman

Lindesy Graham (R-SC)

Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) – committee member

Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

John Kerry (D-MA)

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Carl Levin (D-MI)

Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Richard Lugar (R-IN)

John McCain (R-AZ)

Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Barack Obama (D-IL)

Jack Reed (D-RI)

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Ken Salazar (D-CO)

Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Committee Members:

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – cosponsor

Robert Byrd (D-WV)

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Chris Dodd (D-CT) – cosponsor

Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Dick Durbin (D-IL) – cosponsor

Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Harry Reid (D-NV)

Patty Murray (D-WA)

Mark Pryor (D-AR)

Bob Bennett (R-UT)

Ted Stevens (R-AK)

Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Thad Cochran (R-MS) – cosponsor

Trent Lott (R-MS)

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) – cosponsor

Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)