Dear Senator:
On behalf of the millions of citizens represented by the organizations below, the National Taxpayers Union and OMB Watch strongly urge you to support efforts to make all federal departments' budget justifications publicly available. These detailed reports, currently furnished only to the Appropriations Committees, explain agencies' spending priorities and outline budget allocations from previous years.
Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) plans to introduce amendments that would make those documents a matter of public record, while still excluding information that could compromise national security. Under such legislation, each department would be required to post its entire budget justification online within 48 hours of submitting it to the Appropriations Committee. This requirement would further open the budget and appropriations process to public scrutiny at virtually no cost or effort to the agencies.
As advocates from diverse political perspectives, we concur that government transparency is vital to the health of our political system. Regardless of our views on the appropriate role of the federal government, we believe government must publicly disclose its spending decisions and the rationale behind them. Such disclosure will help encourage a more actively engaged citizenry, resulting in a more effective and efficient government.
American taxpayers should not be kept in the dark about spending decisions, and yet there are obstacles at every turn. Shadowy policymaking climates often lead to adverse results, as recent bribery investigations of several Members of Congress demonstrate. Disclosing agency budget justifications is a key step in shining sunlight on the appropriations process and should be accessible to any American. Moreover, the availability of such information will help the electorate better understand the decisions that Members of Congress make.
We realize this proposal may draw resistance from federal agencies and possibly within Congress. Yet bureaucratic conflicts and congressional turf wars are not sufficient reasons to withhold this information from the public. In the interest of good governance and democratic principles, we urge you to unite in support of legislative efforts to disclose budget justification documents.
Sincerely,
John Berthoud
President
National Taxpayers Union
Gary D. Bass
Executive Director
OMB Watch
Helena R. Berger
Chief Operating Officer
American Association of People with Disabilities
J. William Lauderback
Executive Vice President
The American Conservative Union
Amy Isaacs
National Director
Americans for Democratic Action
Barbara Polk
President
Americans for Democratic Action (Hawaii Chapter)
Dick Patten
Executive Director
American Family Business Institute
Charles Loveless
Director of Legislation
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
John Tillman
President
Americans for Limited Government
Tim Phillips
President
Americans for Prosperity
Tom Jenney
Executive Director
Arizona Federation of Taxpayers
Steve Voeller
President
Arizona Free Enterprise Club
Timothy Wise
President
Arlington County Taxpayers Association
William Rice
President
Big Island Sustainable Communities Association (HI)
Jeffrey Mazzella
President
Center for Individual Freedom
Jim Broussard
Chairman
Citizens Against Higher Taxes
Barbara Anderson
Executive Director
Citizens for Limited Taxation
Chuck Muth
President
Citizen Outreach
Gary Ruskin
Director
Congressional Accountability Project
Howard Phillips
Chairman
The Conservative Caucus, Inc.
Thomas A. Schatz
President
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Edward J. Spar
Executive Director
Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics
Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum of Alabama
Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
FreedomWorks
Mark Bitz
President
FreeNYS.org
Mary Brumder
Executive Director
Government Accountability Project
Kevin McLaughlin
President
Iowans for Discounted Taxes
Karl Peterjohn
Executive Director
Kansas Taxpayers Network
Leon Louw
CEO
Law Review Project
Michael D. Ostrolenk
National Director
Liberty Coalition
Daniel Weiner
Secretary
Libertarian Party of California
Richard Falknor
Executive Vice-President
Maryland Taxpayers Association
Shela Silverman
Mental Health Association of New Mexico
Forest Thigpen
President
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Sister Gayle Lwanga
National Coordinator
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Leroy Watson
Legislative Director
National Grange
Lewis K. Uhler
President
National Tax Limitation Committee
Fred Lane
Founder and Chair
New York Tax Reform Organization (NYTRO)
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Bill Sizemore
Executive Director
Oregon Taxpayers United
Reverend Jennifer Kottler
Deputy Director
Protestants for the Common Good
Dr. Don Racheter
President
Public Interest Institute
Geoffrey Segal
Director of Government Reform
Reason Foundation
Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation (NM)
Nick Sauvie
Executive Director
ROSE Community Development (OR)
Richard Rider
Chair
San Diego Tax Fighters
Ellen S. Miller, ED
Executive Director
Sunlight Foundation
Steve Ellis
Vice President of Programs
Taxpayers for Common Sense
David Strom
President
Taxpayers League of Minnesota
Rick Durham
President
Tennessee Tax Revolt, Inc.
Jeff Blum
Executive Director
US Action
Roland Boucher
Chairman
United Californians for Tax Reform
Al Aitken
Chairman
Virginians Over-Taxed On Residences (VOTORS)
Rose Bogaert
Chair
Wayne County Taxpayers Association, Inc.