Effective public disclosure requires that government agencies prioritize publicly important data, disclose and use new technologies, and make information about public and private goods and services available to the public in a clear and timely manner. More detailed, prompt public disclosure of lobbying information, for example, will help taxpayers better understand which special interests are attempting to influence policy.
Explore the Increase Transparency Program-
Increase Transparency
TCS Statement on the Fiscal Cliff Deal
Congress and the President went bungee jumping off the cliff and are going to be in the same position in just a few short months ...

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Budget & Tax
Taxing the Emperor’s New Clothes
When these “temporary” tax breaks get extended year after year, it adds a lot of bloat to the budget....

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Increase Transparency
Much Ado About Earmarks
As special interest spending provisions that were slipped into legislation, they were key to getting votes on bills and keeping members of Congress in line. ...

Open, transparent government is a cornerstone of our democracy. Open government means public disclosure policies that enable citizens to access information about government agencies and Congress easily, which in turn will make public officials less secretive and hold them more accountable. ...More
Big Oil, Big Profits: Industry Tops $120 Billion in 2012
February 05, 2013
As annual financial reports come in, it’s clear the oil and gas industry is looking to continue its decade long trend of being one of the...
Government Report: Taxpayers Losing Billions in Unaccounted Minerals Extracted from Federal Lands
December 20, 2012
The federal government does not know the value of hardrock minerals being extracted from public lands, a new report by the Government...
Hall Bill to Create Millions in New Taxpayer Handouts for Oil Shale
December 10, 2012
Last month, Representative Ralph Hall (R-TX) introduced a bill (H.R. 6603) to create $50 million in new taxpayer-funded handouts for oil shale speculation....
Report shows billions risked on oil shale speculation
November 29, 2012
With fiscal cliff looming, TCS calls for end to government handouts for failed oil shale experiments....
Preserve NNSA Cost Controls in Defense Authorization Bill
November 28, 2012
Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees today asking members to protect cost-controlling language for nuclear weapons in the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). ...
House Scuttles Debate on Amendment to Truly Stop Next Solyndra
September 12, 2012
The House Committee on Rules decided yesterday to sideline an amendment offered by Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA) to stop all new loan...
Transportation Tax Provisions within Fiscal Cliff Deal
January 03, 2013
The final agreement signed by the president to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” contains several items related to transportation that are...
Energy Tax Breaks Catch Ride on Fiscal Cliff Train
January 03, 2013
At the 11th hour lawmakers and the White House agreed to a deal on the fiscal cliff. While the deal was crafted to address urgent tax hikes...
Loan Guarantee Program 101
October 16, 2012
A basic primer on the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program and answers general questions on the history, administration, and overall effect of the program....
Farm Bill 101
October 02, 2012
The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation that guides food and farm policy. It covers wide-ranging topics from rural broadband service to farm subsidy payments....
Congressmen wary of ‘wasteful, unrelated’ hurricane spending
February 13, 2013 | PhillyBurbs.com
One month after voting in support of a $60 billion relief package for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, some lawmakers in Bucks and Burlington...
Government is wasteful enough that sequestration is acceptable, witnesses say
February 06, 2013 | Government Executive
A House hearing exploring ways to curb waste and duplication in government on Tuesday showcased an apparent consensus that there may be...
Ohio nuclear centrifuge project uncertain
February 05, 2013 | Cincinnati.com
WASHINGTON — As the 113th Congress gets under way and President Barack Obama begins a second term, some possible shifts in federal energy...
It’s ‘common sense’ – or is it? The politics of Obama’s new favorite phrase.
February 05, 2013 | Christian Science Monitor
Washington - In these early days of his second term, President Obama isn’t just promoting legislation on guns and immigration. The president...
Sen. Mitch McConnell says he didn’t push for fiscal cliff provision aiding donor pharmaceutical company
February 04, 2013 | The Courier-Journal (AP)
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell says he didn’t push for a special provision tucked into the fiscal cliff deal — which he negotiated — that...
