For the past several years we have been fighting to maintain funding for online transparency programs that the federal government supports through its E-gov fund. 2013 is no different. The fund supports important initiatives, including the IT Dashboard, Performance.gov, and more, that have been shown to improve government efficiency and accountability, saving at least $3 billion. In addition to helping the government save money, these technologies have been a boon to the private sector, creating jobs and releasing valuable information. President Obama requested $20.15 million for the E-gov fund in his FY 2014 budget request, but Congress is considering combining the fund with another fund and cutting its budget. This Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee is going to mark up the FY 2014 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill that controls the E-gov fund's fate. If they choose to fully fund the E-gov fund, Congress will be making a smart investment in technology and transparency. We happily signed on to three letters to leaders of the House and Senate committees with the power to pay for the E-gov fund urging them to fully invest and allow these programs to thrive. You can find one, sent to the chair and ranking member of the Appropriations committee, here. The others, sent to relevant subcommittee chairmen in the House and Senate are embedded below.
Continue readingSunlight’s Priorities for the Next Administration
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 readingElectronic Government Fund Would Grow Slightly Under President’s Plan
Important government transparency programs would receive a small boost if the President’s proposed budget for FY 2013 were enacted. The... View Article
Continue readingIs E-Gov Back? Approps Bill’s Partial Funding Fix for 2012
Open government may have won a round, with some of the money that was cut in the previous Congress year’s budget*... View Article
Continue readingCrunch Time in Senate for Flagship Transparency Programs
The amount of money available for flagship transparency programs and how they will be funded is again the subject of... View Article
Continue readingData.gov to Remain a Top Priority
Major open government initiatives, namely Data.gov, Performance.gov, and USAspending.gov, are likely to remain top priorities for the E-Government fund, according... View Article
Continue readingGAO Progress Report for E-Gov Fund
The Government Accountability Office concluded that major projects funded through the E-Gov Fund “could potentially lead to benefits including cost... View Article
Continue readingSenate Approps Shortchange E-Gov
After the huge fight over the House’s support for Electronic Government Fund, which pays for many important transparency programs like... View Article
Continue readingGetting the DATA Act’s Act Together
On June 22, federal spending transparency legislation was unanimously approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Introduced... View Article
Continue readingH. Approps OKs E-Gov Funding at $13m, Bill Advances to House
The Electronic Government Fund would likely receive around $13m for FY2012 if Congress agrees with today’s 27-21 vote by the... View Article
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