A couple of staffers have emailed links to postings that their members have put online; I've updated our little Dabble database of earmark requests (I love Dabble, by the way -- fast becoming one of my favorite tools). So I've added requests for Rep. Zack Space and for Rep. Joe Wilson.
I guess we'll continue to update the database, at a much slower rate, throughout the week, but as with our previous efforts in this area, I'd much rather be looking at actual earmark requests than criticizing the process of posting them online.
I note, for example ...
Continue readingX-UA-Compatible Django Middleware
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 may choose to display your site using an older, less compliant rendering engine. Take control and tell IE which engine to use with our Django middleware and decorator.
Continue readingRequirements matter: Just 83 members disclosed transportation earmark requests
Apparently, deadlines do matter. Just 83 House members disclosed their earmark requests for the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill (that last version, SAFETEA-LU, was loaded with Prairie Parkway and Bridge to Nowhere--both of which were earmarks) on the same day that they submitted them to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
Rep. James Oberstar, chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, didn't require members to disclose their earmark requests online in the same way that the House Appropriations Committee does. The latter requires members to post all their earmark requests online before they submit them to the committee for consideration -- at least ...
Continue readingWeekly Media Roundup – May 15, 2009
Here are a few of the more interesting media mentions of Sunlight and our friends and grantees from this week:... View Article
Continue readingEarmark disclosure: Do Deadlines Matter?
When the House Appropriations Committee required members to post earmark requests on their Web sites before they submitted them to the committee, 321 members had them online in a reasonably accessible format. When the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee suggested members post earmark requests for the next big transportation reauthorization bill on their own Web sites--but didn't require it--we found just 71 disclosures online. That's comparable to the number that used to disclose requests voluntarily when there was no requirement to disclose.
Oeadlines do matter.
Continue readingDownloading House Lobbying Disclosures
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 mandates that lobbyist that meet specific requirements are to register with Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate. Being the great body that they are, the House provides a searchable database and bulk download of the registration forms. Sure a searchable database is nice, but we can have the most fun with access to the entire data set. The disclosure forms are provided in XML format, divided by year and reporting period (quarerly, semi-annually, annually), and archived.
In order to download the disclosure archives, an HTML form must be submitted for each file. This can be a huge pain as the files are large and involves non-trivial human effort whenever files are released or updated. We've written a Python script that simulates the form submissions and automatically downloads all of the archives. In addition to the script, we've uploaded a recent download of the archives to Amazon S3 for easier distribution.
The simple download script can be found on GitHub and the archives can be downloaded from S3.
Continue readingWhere to find stimulus contracts
A company that offers outsourcing services to federal and state governments got a a contract award for $2.8 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- the stimulus -- to set up call centers for the FCC's digital transition effort; they advertised for jobs paying $16.38 an hour in Buffalo, N.Y. The Dept. of Health and Human Services spent $326,000 in stimulus funds to purchase and install 98 workstations (and an option to store them until needed at a cost of $35 per pallet); a Midland, MI-based company, Space, Inc., got the sale. And ...
Continue readingThe 72-Hour Rule Gets a High Profile Endorsement
Today House Minority Leader John Boehner endorsed the idea of a mandatory 72-hour review period for all major spending legislation.... View Article
Continue readingClosing the Earmark Disclosure Loopholes
It won’t save our intrepid band of earmark hunters from staying up all night looking for earmark requests on member... View Article
Continue readingWhat happens after a bill becomes a law
Many people remember from middle school the movie on how a bill becomes a law, but few civics courses teach... View Article
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