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
Joint Letter to the Senate: Support Crop Insurance Transparency
Taxpayers for Common Sense and allied organizations urge support for a crop insurance transparency amendment...

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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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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
It’s Been a Busy Summer!
August 09, 2013
It’s been a busy summer!
So far, we’ve been instrumental in exposing corporate subsidies in the farm bill. We gained ground in our fight...
Left-Right Agree: Disclose Senate Tax Reform Proposals
August 01, 2013
August 1, 2013
Dear Senator,
American taxpayers deserve to know the priorities of their...
It’s Time for Tax Reform Transparency
July 31, 2013
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Hatch (R-UT) should be commended for their ‘Blank Slate’ approach to tax...
Make Tax Reform Proposals Public
July 26, 2013
Today, TCS joined 29 other diverse organizations in a letter urging transparency within the tax reform debate....
Letter to Senate: Support Common Sense Amendments to Transportation/HUD Appropriations Bill
July 24, 2013
Propsals would cut wasteful spending and increase transparency....
Fiscal Conservatives Urge Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill
July 16, 2013
July 22, 2013
Dear Speaker Boehner,
We understand that the House of...
Reforming the Farm Safety Net: Principles for Accountability
May 23, 2013
Every five or so years, Congress has an opportunity to reform agriculture policy in the farm bill, a massive piece of legislation that has...
Analysis of Selected Sections of S. 601, Water Resources Development Act of 2013
March 20, 2013
The Senate's Environment and Public Works committee is taking up a water project bill that could cost taxpayers billions....
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...
Trinity Uptown Bridges in Fort Worth Will Initially Span Dirt, Not Water
September 16, 2013 | Fort Worth Star Telegram
FORT WORTH — They’re not exactly bridges to nowhere, but when three new bridges in Fort Worth’s massive Trinity Uptown project are complete...
Critics Pan LIRR Plan to Spend Sandy Cash on Double Track
September 16, 2013 | Long Island Newsday
The Long Island Rail Road wants to spend $300 million in federal Sandy money to complete its Double Track effort between Farmingdale and...
Op-Ed: Divide and Conquer: Turning Us Against Them
September 16, 2013 | Bucks County Courier Times
The lead story in the Dec. 14, 2009 edition of the Washington Post began: “The Senate cleared for Obama’s signature on Sunday a $447 billion...
Mitch McConnell’s Close Ties with Humana Founder
September 10, 2013 | Politico
In 2005, David A. Jones Sr., founder of health insurance giant Humana Inc., needed help raising money for a Louisville, Ky., parks project...
House could vote on CR next week
September 09, 2013 | The Federal Times
The House could move forward as early as next week with a fiscal 2014 continuing resolution, a spokeswoman for the House Appropriations...
