Letter to Congress: Harvest Real Savings by Reforming Agriculture Policy

Taxpayers for Common Sense and twelve other fiscal watchdogs sent a letter to Congress urging they harvest real savings in any new farm bill....

Step Outside the MOX

The Project On Government Oversight and Taxpayers for Common Sense are encouraged by reports of waning support for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MOX) at the Savannah River Site...

Defense Savings Strengthen Our Economic Security

February 6, 2013 Dear Member of Congress, On behalf of the undersigned organizations and...

Big Oil, Big Profits: Industry Tops $120 Billion in 2012

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...

Even More Options for Cutting Crop Insurance Costs

Defenders of agricultural subsidies at all costs are starting to feel the heat. Yesterday, professors from Ohio State University,...

TCS Testifies before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Ryan Alexander testified before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee...

Heard On The Hill: Support TCS Today

Dear Fellow Taxpayer, I wanted you to know you’re getting your money’s worth. Earlier today I testified before the House Committee on...

TCS Moderates Congressional Briefings on Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard

            February 5, 2013 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis, 202-546-8500 ext...

Big Oil Boasts High Profits; Subsidies Continue

Oil and gas companies continue to boast substantial profits while reaping billions in taxpayer-backed subsidies. As of February 1st, four...

Alexander to testify before Government Reform Committee today

Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander will be testifying before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on...

Sandy Spending Accountability

With the Senate's 62-36 vote, lawmakers have sent in aggregate more than $60 billion to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. You can...

It’s Official: 2012 Drought Cost Taxpayers a Record $14 Billion

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed what taxpayers have feared for months. After tallying losses from last...

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental

  January 11, 2012 Dear Representative, As you know, the House of...

Farm Bill Extension Better Than Trillion-Dollar Bill

As we predicted, all the hype about the “dairy cliff” hitting consumers with sky-high milk prices was nothing but a hoax....

TCS Statement on Fiscal Cliff Deal

The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander, President Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the fiscal cliff deal signed into law....

Top 10 Fiscal Cliff Tax Fails

Washington’s last minute deal to avert the fiscal cliff saw the return of many never-ending “temporary” tax breaks. While the bulk of the...

Lactose Intolerance: There is No Dairy Cliff

Don’t believe the hype. There is no milk cliff. Yes, after the new year, permanent farm law from 1949 (and 1938) will take effect, but...

Defense Authorization Bill: More Money, Less Savings

The Senate today passed the final version of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which, though late, will still beat the...

Government Report: Taxpayers Losing Billions in Unaccounted Minerals Extracted from Federal Lands

The federal government does not know the value of hardrock minerals being extracted from public lands, a new report by the Government...

Golden Fleece Awarded to Agriculture Risk Management Agency

TCS awarded the Golden Fleece to USDA's Risk Management Agency for wasting taxpayer funds...

House Science Subcommittee Debates Oil Shale Subsidies

The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing November 30th to discuss the development...

Hall Bill to Create Millions in New Taxpayer Handouts for Oil Shale

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....

TCS Cited in Bipartisan Congressional Letter on Defense Savings

A group of eleven Democratic and eleven Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to President Obama and...

Fiscal Conservatives: Taxpayers Won’t Harvest Farm Bill Savings

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a joint letter today urging Congress to reject a five-year farm bill as part of a deficit reduction package....

Use Common Sense to Rappel the Fiscal Cliff

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a “Common Sense Proposal to Rappel the Fiscal Cliff” to the President and congressional...

Don’t Toy With the Cliff: Support TCS Today

Dear Friends: Congress, the administration, and the punditry at large have been bemoaning the federal government’s fiscal situation....

TCS Supports Extending Whistleblower Protections

November 28, 2012 An Open Letter to the Senate in Support of More Protections for Taxpayer Dollars Dear Senator: We the undersigned...

Drought Fails to Dry Up Farm Profits

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that even after this year’s drought, farm profits are on pace to...

Letter to Congress: Oppose Any Fiscal Cliff Farm Bill Deal

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Congress urging members to reject passing a nearly trillion-dollar farm bill in the lame duck session....

Report shows billions risked on oil shale speculation

With fiscal cliff looming, TCS calls for end to government handouts for failed oil shale experiments....

Preserve NNSA Cost Controls in Defense Authorization Bill

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). ...

The Department of Everything

We love to remind people that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is the world’s largest bureaucracy, employing more than the world’s...

Congress: Avoid Fiscal Cliff and Go Home

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter today to all members of the 112th Congress outlining what they should do regarding the fiscal cliff....

DOD Acquisition Reforms: Spending Money is Hard!

“It turns out acquisition reform is hard,” said Undersecretary of Defense Frank Kendall at yesterday’s rollout of the Defense...

Remarks by TCS President Ryan Alexander on Fiscal Cliff

Taxpayers for Common Sense held a media conference call earlier today to discuss the outcomes of the election and what the Lame Duck...

TCS president Ryan Alexander on the 2012 election results

"This is not the time for small ball. Congress and the President need to work together and enact legislation that makes the fiscal cliff a distant memory."...

President Ms. Ryan Alexander Sliding Past Sequestration Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2012 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis 202-546-8500 x126 or steve@taxpayer.net Taxpayers for Common Sense...

Letter to the Speaker: Washington Cannot Make It Rain

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Speaker Boehner to oppose $1 trillion worth of bad agriculture policy....

House Scuttles Debate on Amendment to Truly Stop Next Solyndra

The House Committee on Rules decided yesterday to sideline an amendment offered by Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA) to stop all new...

Statement: TCS President on Passage of No More Solyndras Act

Today House lawmakers passed the fatally flawed "No More Solyndras Act" enabling tens of billions of dollars in high-risk, costly loan guarantees to move forward. Instead of fulfilling its promise, this misleadingly named bill will...

Statement Opposing Transportation Omnibus Bill

Washington, DC - We are deeply disappointed that Congress has chosen the easy way out in funding transportation reauthorization. By...

The Pay-fors Just Don’t Add Up

The transportation bill proposed by the Senate outspends gas tax revenues by approximately $14 billion....

More Solyndras Act Passes Committee

Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the so-called “No More Solyndras Act.” While the bill includes some taxpayer...

Letter to the Speaker: Don’t Cut the House out of the Farm Bill Debate

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined 13 other organizations representing a diversity of interests in calling on Speaker Boehner to not let taxpayers be subjected to a "bait and switch" on the Farm Bill. Recent comments from House Agriculture Committee leadership clearly outline a strategy to use supplemental drought assistance and a one year extension of the Farm Bill as a “Trojan Horse” to get to conference with the Senate on a five-year Farm Bill....

Letter to Congress: No More Solyndras Act Fails to Fully Protect Taxpayers

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined several groups today urging Congress to support changes to the 'No More Solyndras Act' in order to...

“No More Solyndras Act” Moves Forward

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power voted 14-6 Wednesday to send the “No More Solyndras Act” to the full...

Fiscal Conservatives: Farm Bill Will Not Solve Drought

Following the old adage "never let a crisis go to waste," special interests in Washington are trying to exploit the current drought...

TCS Statement on Amendment to Freeze Pentagon Budget

The following is a written statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the adoption of the Frank-Mulvaney...

Support Amendments to Cut Waste in Defense Spending Bill

  July 18, 2012 Dear Representative:  Taxpayers for Common Sense Action, a...

No More Solyndras Act Falls Short for Taxpayers

The House Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a joint hearing today to...

Taxpayer and Environmental Groups Endorse Flake-Chaffetz Crop Insurance Reform Legislation

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined several groups in urging Congress to support H.R. 6098, "Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform...

Oppose House Farm Bill Draft: Fails to Reform; Creates New Subsidy Entitlement Programs

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined together with several groups today urging Congress to oppose the House of Representative's Draft Farm...

TCS Statement Opposing Transportation Omnibus Bill

The following is a written statement of Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on H.R. 4348, the transportation...

TCS Statement on Passage of Senate Farm Bill

Statement of Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense on Senate passage of S. 3240, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and...

Letter to Senate: Support Reforms in the Flawed Farm Bill

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the Senate today, urging support for common sense reforms in the Farm Bill. These...

Statement by Ryan Alexander, President of TCS on Common Sense Limit to Taxpayer Subsidies for Crop Insurance

The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense at a press conference concerning SA 2201, an...

Congress Votes to Keep Same Program That Brought You Solyndra Alive

Last week the House of Representatives passed the Energy and Water spending bill that provides funding for the Department of Energy's...

TCS Testifies before House Natural Resources Subcommittee

Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) Vice-President Steve Ellis testified about federal subsidies for western water contractors and...

House Cuts $25 Million in Subsidies for Oil Shale

Yesterday the House of Representatives cut $25 million in new funding for oil shale development. Instead of directing more subsidies at...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Awarded Highest Rating ‘4 Stars’ from Leading Charity Evaluator

We are excited to announce that Charity Navigator, the largest nonprofit evaluator in the US, has awarded Taxpayers for Common Sense a...

BETA - New TCS Digital Infrastructure

Our new website and digital toolkit is live in BETA testing....

Stop the Next Solyndra: Put the Brakes on Troubled Loan Guarantee Program

Reps. Kucinich (D-OH) and McClintock (R-CA) have offered an amendment to stop new loan guarantees from the Department of Energy (DOE)...

End USEC Giveaways in Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

Congress is considering spending $100 million on the United States Enrichment Corporation’s (USEC) Piketon, Ohio enrichment project...

Defense Authorization Antics Begin

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the largest policy bill directing the nation’s annual spending, accounting for some $650...

House Backdoor Earmarks $150 million for Parochial Boondoggle

This morning the House voted down an amendment that would have stripped the $150 million added to the National Defense Authorization Act for the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). ...

Stop $150 million for troubled uranium project in NDAA

$150 million for the United States Enrichment Corporation's (USEC) Piketon, Ohio enrichment facility has been added to the National...

TCS Statement on Sanders-Ellison Bill Eliminating Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Statement of Ryan Alexander, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense on the introduction of the Sanders-Ellison bill to eliminate...

Senators Call for Common Sense Changes to Crop Insurance

This week Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) took an important step highlighting the need to rein in the largest taxpayer...

Senate Agriculture Committee Proposes Entitlement Filled Farm Bill

The Senate Agriculture Committee today released its version of the Farm Bill and it appears to fall far short of needed reforms. And...

House Passes Another Transportation Extension in Attempt to Get to Conference With Senate

The House today passed a 90-day extension of the nation’s federal transportation program (H.R. 4348) by a vote of 293-197. This...

Golden Fleece Awarded to Riverboat Ripoff

            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2012 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis, Taxpayers for...

GSA Inspector General Blasts Lavish Conference Spending

The media has been awash with reports on the more than $800,000 Las Vegas, NV conference the Western Regions of the General Services...

National Taxpayer and Free Market Nonprofits Announce New Joint Venture

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Five nationally known groups that favor spending restraint have announced their intention to close, April 1, 2012, on a...

TCS Statement on passage of ninth extension of the highway bill

For Immediate Release March 29, 2012 Contact: Steve Ellis (202) 546-8500 x126 Statement...

Problems with DOE Loan Guarantee Program Continue

Last week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report in a series of on-going analyses criticizing the Department of...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Statement on Common Sense Step Toward an Appropriate Agricultural Safety Net

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) today introduced legislation that is important in efforts to focus federal...

Statement from TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander on the House Republican Budget Resolution

The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the House Republican Budget...

TCS Statement on Senate Adoption of “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21)

The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on S. 1813, "Moving Ahead for Progress in the...

Ideologically diverse coalition sends letter to Congress: Stop the NAT GAS Act

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action joined an ideologically diverse coalition in a letter to the Senate urging them to oppose Amendment...

Senate Defeats Attempt to Attach NAT GAS Act to Transportation Bill

Today the Senate defeated an amendment offered by Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Burr (R-NC) that would have provided billions in lucrative...

Letter to Congress: Vote NO: S. 1813 Support Taxpayer Positions on Amendments

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to members of the Senate urging them support taxpayer positions on amendments to the...

Letter to Congress: St. Croix Crossing Is a Bridge Too Far

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to members of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee urging them to oppose...

House Transportation Bill: The Current State of Play

Despite initial plans to move ahead with debate and of a transportation bill, political reality set in late yesterday and today for House...

TCS Action Letter to Congress: Budget Gimmicks Hit the Road

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to members of Congress as they consider H.R. 7, The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs...

President funds transportation with irresponsible ‘Peace Dividend’

The administration's FY 2013 Presidential Budget Request proposes a $476 billion six-year reauthorization bill. This is much higher...

TCS Analysis of the FY13 Presidential Budget Request

Last Updated: February 19, 2012 The FY2013 Presidential Budget Request was released this morning (2/13/2012). TCS staff will be posting...

Letter: Oppose the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives as they consider H.R.7, the American Energy...

Coalition Letter Urges Congress to Reject Linking Drilling Revenues to the Highway Trust Fund, Preserve User-Pays

Taxpayers for Common Sense, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Reason Foundation, National Taxpayers Union, and Natural Resources Defense...

Statement by Ryan Alexander, president of TCS on the FY13 Presidential Budget Request

The President’s fiscal year 2013 budget request is being released into swirling fiscal, economic, and electoral winds. Those winds...

Earmark Data

Even under an existing moratorium, earmarks have received a lot of attention in the media, in Congress, and around the water cooler in...

Coal Subsidies Database

Over the years the coal industry has received billions in federal subsidies, in a variety of forms including direct grants, loan...

Data Center

Welcome to the Data Center! We are pleased to offer direct access to many of the datasets we use in our analysis. Over the years, we have...

White House Loan Guarantee Review

Today the White House released a 60 day review of the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program. The review, conducted by former...

New Nuclear Reactors Must Move Forward Without Passing Risk to Taxpayers

For the first time in decades, a new nuclear reactor is getting its federal license to build and operate in the United States. Today, the...

FutureGen Behind Schedule: What’s Happening to Taxpayers’ Billion Dollars?

Despite a billion dollar taxpayer investment and years of commitment by the Department of Energy (DOE), in a United States Energy...

TCS’s Reaction to the House’s Most Recent Transportation Bill

Taxpayers for Common Sense today released the following in reaction to the House’s most recent transportation bill: The House today...

Senate Transportation Bill: Driving in the Wrong Direction

Senate leadership is busy patting themselves on the back in the wake of Senate Finance Committee approval of a slate of “pay-fors” to...

FAA Reauthorization: EAS reforms fail taxpayers

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to members of Congress as they consider legislation on FAA...

Speaker’s “Drilling for Transportation Dollars” Proposal: A Dead End for Taxpayers

[Updated 2/1/2012] The Natural Resources Committee today passed three energy-related bills today, and the royalties that would result...

FAA Reauthorization and the Essential Air Service: When a Cut is Actually an Increase

After 23 extensions, Congress is finally on the verge of reauthorizing the nation’s air program for the next four years. This would be...

Counting on Speculative Oil and Gas Revenues to Fund our Transportation Needs is Fiscally Reckless

Today the House Natural Resources Committee considered the energy portions of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (the...

FAA Reauthorization Should Include EAS Reforms

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to House and Senate conferees before they meet today to negotiate differences between...

An Open Letter to the United States Congress: No Special Tax Treatment for Natural Gas Vehicles!

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined several groups today to call on Congress to oppose the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans...

Hill Briefing: Don’t Drill and Drive: Weakening the User-Pays Highway Funding Principle Would Endanger Our Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure

TCS Hill Briefing: Don’t Drill and Drive: Weakening the “User-Pays” Highway Funding Principle Would Endanger Our Nation’s Transportation...

State of the Union Energy Proposals

Oil subsidies must go, but we can’t stop there; Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program will continue to fail; increased...

Outline of House’s Transportation Reauthorization Revealed

An outline of the House majority’s new transportation reauthorization proposal — The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act — was...

TCS Joins Coalition Against Wasteful Army Corps of Engineer’s Deepening Delaware River Project

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined the Delaware Riverkeeper and Water Protection Network to compile a report analyzing the wasteful Army...

Diverse Groups Mark Expiration of Ethanol Subsidy

Taxpayers for Common Sense joins several groups in marking the expiration of the largest subsidy to the ethanol industry, something TCS...

Coalition Holds Press Conference on Illinois FutureGen Project

               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: December 19, 2011 Kristina Rasmussen (217)...

Plenty of Money Moving Around Defense Authorization Bill

Followers of the annual National Defense Authorization Act will recall the kerfuffle that occurred earlier this year after lawmakers in...

This Time, Let the Ethanol Tax Break Expire

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, or VEETC, the largest subsidy to the ethanol industry, is set to expire on December 31st. Last...

Letter and Briefing on the Wasteful, Expiring $6 Billion Ethanol Subsidy

Taxpayers for Common Sense worked with Congressional allies to get 73 Representatives to sign a letter last week asking Speaker of the...

Coalition Demands Deficit Plans be Public

Taxpayers for Common Sense and a coalition of groups sent a letter to the President, Speaker Boehner, and Majority Leader Reid today...

House Transportation Reauthorization Postponed as Deadline Approaches

With the March 31, 2012 expiration of nation’s surface transportation legislation steadily approaching, House leaders informed...

House Subcommittee Discusses Loan Guarantees

The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight met as part of an ongoing series of hearings...

Loan Guarantee Program Up for Review

The Department of Energy (DOE) Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program is coming up for some much needed scrutiny after two companies funded...

Super Failure: Time for Congress to Do Its Job

For Immediate Release November 21, 2011 Contact: Steve Ellis 202-546-8500 x126 Super Failure: Time for Congress to Do Its...

TCS Testifies on Royalties before House Natural Resources Subcommittee

Ms. Ryan Alexander President Taxpayers for Common Sense Written Testimony submitted to the United States House of...

November 4, 5:43 PM—The Latest on the Deficit Cutting Super Committee

November 4, 2011-5:43 PM This way madness lies. Because the vast majority of the Super Committee’s activities have occurred behind...

A Legacy for Earmarks (updated 11/14/2011)

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today passed its version of a transportation reauthorization bill, to replace the...

TCS Mourns the Loss of Rob Stuart, One of Our Founding Board Members

TCS mourns the loss of one of our founding board members, Rob Stuart, 49, who died suddenly on October 26th. Rob was literally present...

Just Say No to Stillwater Bridge

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Commitee in advance of its markup of S. 1134...

Transportation Reauthorization: Congress Needs to Pay to Pave

Both the House and Senate are poised to begin deliberations over different versions of transportation reauthorization legislation. Though...

Coalition Letter Opposing Passing Farm Bill Through Super Committee

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a coalition on a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, asking them to not...

Uranium Loan Guarantee Is A Bad Bet

Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees are and should be under the magnifying glass. On August 31, 2011, the first company to receive...

California’s Rail Project Costs More Than Double

According to a business plan released by the California High Speed Rail Authority this week, the costs for a high speed rail connection...

TCS Letter In Support of S. 1775, the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to several senators regarding S. 1775, the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act...

TCS Statement on DOI’s Plans to Lease Public Lands for Solar Development

Statement of Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense in response to Department of Interior release of the Supplement to...

Congressmen Support Common Sense Cuts to Wasteful Ag Spending

Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter this week to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction--i.e....

Taxpayers for Common Sense Targets Oil and Gas Tax Breaks

October 20, 2011 CONTACT: Mike Surrusco: michael@taxpayer.net (202) 546-8500 x102 Taxpayers for Common Sense Targets Oil and Gas...

Solyndra Probe Continues

Today the House continued its investigation of the failed Department of Energy loan guarantee to the solar start-up Solyndra. Today...

It’s Time to Rethink the Stillwater Bridge

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the House Natural Resources Commitee in advance of its markup of a related bill, H.R....

Deal May Increase Transportation Spending, But at What Cost?

Updated 9/28/2011 Reports of a meeting between House Republican leadership and Rep. John Mica (R-FL), Chair of the Transportation and...

Joint Letter in Support of Common Sense Flood Insurance Amendments

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined other groups in support of the two amendments Senator Hagan (D-NC) filed to the Flood Insurance Reform...

TCS Testifies on the Inland Waterways Trust Fund

Today, TCS Vice President Steve Ellis will be testifying before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water...

Clock Ticking Only On Some of the Risky DOE Loan Guarantees

Today, a portion of the Dept. of Energy Loan Guarantee Program will expire. While that’s good news for taxpayers the trouble is far from...

Coalition Letter to Support Transparency in Super Committee

A coalition of watchdog groups, along with Taxpayers for Common Sense, sent a letter to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, or the...

The American Jobs Act: Concerns mount over President’s Infrastructure Bank proposal

On Tuesday, September 12th, the Obama Administration released the text of the “American Jobs Act” which includes $447 billion in tax...

House and Senate Craft Disappointing Extension of Surface Transportation, FAA Programs

After negotiations between majority leaders in the House and Senate, a bill was introduced that would extend the surface transportation...

TCS Letter to the ‘Super Committee’

Yesterday, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to all 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or the "Super...

Support FAA Extension, Reform the Essential Air Service

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the Senate, encouraging it to pass H.R. 2553, which would reform the wasteful...

TCS Statement and Analysis on Debt Ceiling Agreement

A statement from TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander is below.  Analysis on the debt ceiling legislation agreed to by leadership from both...

TCS on the Debt Ceiling

Taxpayers for Common Sense statement on the debt ceiling and deficit reduction bills.          ...

Stillwater Bridge Proposal is Too Big, Too Costly for Nation’s Taxpayers

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Commitee, explaining why the Stillwater Bridge...

TCS Testifies on Revenue Sharing from Offshore Drilling

Ms. Ryan Alexander President Taxpayers for Common Sense Written Testimony submitted to the United States House of...

Support Gang of Six Bi-Partisan Plan to Reduce Our Nation’s Deficit

    Support “Gang of Six” Bi-Partisan Plan to Reduce Our Nation’s Deficit   July 20,...

Senate Energy Committee Should Not Divert Billions in Royalties from Treasury

 Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee asking committee members to oppose...

Analyzing the House Transportation Proposal

Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure John Mica (R-FL) released a summary of his transportation...

Regulatory Comments for Office of Natural Resources Revenue Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Federal Oil and Gas Valuation

Taxpayers for Common Sense submitted comments to the Office of Natural Resources Revenue concerning Federal Oil and Gas Valuation....

Senate Committee Passes Energy Financing Entity

With little debate, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed by voice vote a bill to create the Clean Energy Deployment...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Supports Consideration of Stillwater Bridge Alternative

A coalition of local organizations released an alternative to the proposed $700 million Stillwater Bridge replacement. This alternative...

Coalition & TCS Action Letters to House Lawmakers Concerning Amendments to H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the entire House of Representatives, urging lawmakers to support Amendment No....

Senate Energy Committee Needs to Stop the Clean Energy Deployment Administration

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined with other groups urging Congress to save taxpayers from footing the bill for billions in risky loans by not creating the Clean Energy Deployment Administration....

Anchorage Sues FHWA to Stop Knik Arm Crossing

The Municipality of Anchorage (Alaska) filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the...

TCS Comments on Senators’ Compromise on Ethanol Subsidy Elimination

Today, Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) struck a deal with Sens. Klobuchar (D-MN) and Thune (R-SD) to eliminate the ethanol tax credit (and tariff)....

Coalition letter in support of Reps. Herger and Crowley bill to end 30 years of tax credits to the E

Today, a diverse coalition of groups including Taxpayers for Common Sense released a letter to Representatives Herger (R-CA) and Crowley (D-NY), expressing strong support for their bill, the Ethanol Subsidy Repeal Act, which would end more than 30 years of tax credits to the ethanol industry. The Act would save taxpayers several billion dollars this year alone, with no impact to the ethanol industry....

TCS National Security Spending Update: Spending Big on Services

The Senate Armed Services Committee released the report for the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act on Friday, and though it will...

Ethanol Update: Coalition Applauds Two Important Votes to End Taxpayer-Funded Ethanol Subsidies in t

WASHINGTON, DC – June 16, 2011 – A broad and diverse coalition that includes business associations, taxpayer advocates, hunger and...

Support Amendments to Stop Wasteful Ag Spending

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter yesterday to the House of Representatives, asking for their support on a variety of common sense amendments that will save money and end wasteful payments and programs. ...

TCS Letter to the Editor in St. Louis Post-Dispatch - “Solution to flood protection is not new earmarks”

Letters to the editor, June 14 Joshua Sewell • Washington, D.C. Policy Analyst, Taxpayers for Common Sense It is disappointing to...

Coalition Letter Supporting Ending Wasteful $6 Billion Annual Ethanol Subsidy

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a broad and diverse coalition supporting Senators Coburn (R-OK), Feinstein (D-CA), and McCain (R-AZ) and their amendments this week which will end the $6 billion annual, taxpayer-funded subsidies for conventional ethanol which go to Big Oil when they blend ethanol with gasoline. ...

TCS Releases Report on Largest Ethanol Subsidy

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense released a comprehensive report on the largest subsidy to corn ethanol, the Volumetric Ethanol Excise...

Taxpayers for Common Sense’s Ellis weighs in on oil, ethanol tax breaks

OnPoint E&E TV   SYNOPSIS: As the debate over subsidies heats up, should Congress be considering a complete overhaul of the tax...

TCS post in Blue Dog Research Forum’s “Point and Counterpoint” edition on whether or not to end tax benefits to the Oil and Gas Industry

The Blue Dog Research Forum's "Point and Counterpoint" Edition asked the question: Should We End Tax Benefits to the Oil and Gas...

TCS and Panelists Brief Hill Staff on DoD and Deficit Reduction: Options for Significant Defense Savings

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense senior defense policy analyst Laura Peterson introduced a panel discussion for Capitol Hill staff on...

TCS VP Steve Ellis on CNN discussing ways in which Congress is “Bypassing the Earmark Ban”

Members of Congress promised an end to earmarks, but guess what? They found another way to spend your money. In this Memorial Day...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Letter to the Editor—Energy Subsidies: “No Giveaways” (The Wichita Eagle)

No giveaways In "Natural gas better for economy, environment" (May 20 Opinion), T. Boone Pickens tried to justify new subsidies...

Coalition Letter Opposing Clean Energy Deployment Administration

Taxpayers for Common Sense and a coalition of groups sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee calling for them to oppose the Clean Energy Deployment Administration....

Coalition Letter Opposing NATGAS Act—A Bill to Subsidize the Natural Gas Vehicle Industry

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined 16 other taxpayer and conservative groups on an open letter to Congress urging them to oppose yet another new energy subsidy. ...

Taxpayers for Common Sense on PBS Nightly Business Report commenting on the National Flood Insurance

Taxpayers for Common Sense VP Steve Ellis commenting on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the program\'s $17 billion debt...

Federal taxpayers railroaded? New report says California’s rail project needs an overhaul

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently announced an additional $2 billion in grant money for developing high speed rail (HSR)...

Taxpayers for Common Sense on PBS Nightly Business Report commenting on the National Flood Insurance Program

Taxpayers for Common Sense on PBS Nightly Business Report: May 17, 2011 Taxpayers for Common Sense VP Steve Ellis commenting on the...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Announces New Board Chair Mark D. Smith

The Board of Directors of Taxpayers for Common Sense is pleased to announce that they elected Mark D. Smith as Chair of the Board at...

Democrats target big oil: Experts debate - Washington Post Live Q&A at 2pm

Democrats target big oil: Experts debate In an effort to create revenue and decrease the deficit, Democrats are pushing to end tax...

TCS Action Letter: Tax Reform Must Tackle Oil and Gas Subsidies

TCS Action sent a letter to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) to urge crafting of a bill that will trim unnecessary wasteful oil and gas tax breaks. By eliminating wasteful and outdated tax breaks, Congress can bring valuable revenue to the Treasury and begin chipping away at the nation's trillion dollar deficit....

TCS Letter in Opposition to H.R. 1380, the NAT GAS Act

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives calling for Congress to oppose H.R. 1380, the New Alternative Transportation to Give American Solutions or NAT GAS Act....

Letter Supporting Bipartisan Effort to Cut Billions in Ethanol Giveaway

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a broad and diverse coalition applauding Senators Coburn (R-OK) and Feinstein (D-CA) for combining their efforts to end billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies for conventional ethanol by introducing the bipartisan “Ethanol Subsidy and Tariff Repeal Act.”...

TCS Letter to House Speaker John Boehner Agreeing with his Recent Comments on Oil Subsidies

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner, regarding his recent comments that oil companies "ought to be paying their fair share."...

Coalition Letter Opposing Wasteful Mississippi River Locks

Taxpayers for Common Sense recently joined other Nicollet Island Coalition members on a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers detailing how new locks on the Upper Mississippi are economically unjustified....

Budget Gimmicks in FY11 Defense Bill

Washington is abuzz with talk of the deficit-reduction plan President Obama announced Wednesday, mostly along the lines of “wait, what...

TCS Letter to the House & Senate Energy & Water Development Subcommittees: Stop New Authority To DOE Loan Guarantee Program

Taxpayers for Common Sense along with the George C. Marshall Institute, the Non-Proliferation Policy Education Center, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the National Taxpayers Union, sent a letter to both the House and Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittees urging lawmakers to not provide additional loan guarantee authority to the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program in the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill....

Updates & Budgetary Gimmicks in the Final Continuing Resolution Unveiled by House Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee released the final Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the federal government for the rest of the 2011...

Briefing on DOE Loan Guarantees:: Should Taxpayers Bear the Risks for the Energy Sector with Loan Guarantees?

Taxpayers for Common Sense, National Taxpayers Union, The Heritage Foundation, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute will hold a discussion on the impacts of federal energy loan guarantees on the federal budget and energy markets....

House Subcommittee Hearing on DOE Loan Guarantees

Taxpayers for Common Sense has been critical of the Loan Guarantee Program since its inception in 2005 and we are pleased that Congress...

TCS VP Steve Ellis Op-Ed: Earmarks are dead. Long live earmarks (CNN)

By Steve Ellis, CNNMoney guest columnist April 7, 2011: 11:31 AM ET Earmark reform: The end-arounds have begun -- Steve Ellis is Vice...

TCS Letter in Support of H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, in support of H.R. 1309 the “Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011.”...

Statement from TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander on the release of the House Republican Budget Resolution

“Chairman Ryan should be congratulated for taking the bull by the horns and releasing a budget resolution that recommends decisive steps...

Taxpayer Letter to the Senate: End Ethanol Tax Credit

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to senators today urging them to support efforts to immediately end spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a wasteful tax credit that was set to expire last year. Read our letter below and contact your senators to ask for their support on this common sense taxpayer-friendly amendment. ...

TCS Statement on the JSF Alternate Engine Cancellation

Statement by TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander on the announcement the Defense Department issued a stop-work order on the Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine program....

Coalition Letter to Congress Calls for an End to Energy Subsidies

Taxpayers for Common Sense along with a coalition of nearly 30 groups sent a letter to Congress calling for an end to energy...

Broad Coalition Supports Senators Efforts to End VEETC

Taxpayers for Common Sense alongside a broad and diverse coalition of groups sent a letter supporting the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax...

TCS Testimony on the National Flood Insurance Program

Today, Vice President Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense testified on behalf of the SmarterSafer Coalition at a House Financial...

Energy Loan Guarantee Program Under More Scrutiny

Energy Loan Guarantee Program Under More Scrutiny The Department of Energy Inspector General recently released a report faulting DOE...

TCS Testifies at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

On March 3, 2011 Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified at a House Committee on Oversight and Government reform...

TCS Mentioned on Capitol Hill (February)

Taxpayers for Common Sense was mentioned numerous times on Capitol Hill this February.  CSPAN video provided below: February 7,...

Broad Coalition Calls for the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit to Expire

Taxpayers for Common Sense along with 90 other organizations and associations delivered a letter to Congressional leaders on Tuesday...

Energy Committee Questions DOE on Budget

Senate Energy Committee’s Hearing on the President’s FY2012 Budget Request Earlier this week the President released his budget request...

Ongoing Analysis of Debate Over FY11 Continuing Resolution

The House of Representatives is debating a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2011 (through...

CR Misses the Mark on Loan Guarantees

The House Continuing Appropriations Bill (CR) offers ample fodder for the chopping block. Unfortunately, House Republicans released a...

Senate Energy and House Natural Resource Committees Examine New Findings on the Gulf Oil Spill

On January 26, the Senate Energy Committee and House Natural Resources Committee both held hearings on the final report produced by...

A Taxpayer Victory!  Thank You!

With the Senate's begrudging acceptance of an earmark moratorium, taxpayers just achieved a well-earned victory on the road to fiscal...

Senate Appropriations Committee Announces Earmark Moratorium

Today, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) announced a two year moratorium on earmarks. The call comes after...

Legislation Introduced to end Reverse Royalty for Hardrock Mining

Last week, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation to eliminate an unnecessary giveaway for mining companies that cost...

TCS on State of the Union: Every Dollar Must be on the Table

Taxpayers for Common Sense statement on the 2011 State of the Union address.                For...

Letter to Congress: Where to Start Cutting to Trim the Deficit

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense delivered to leadership in both the House and Senate a report on how Congress can quickly cut nearly...

UPDATE: Gates Shifts Defense Dollars

Defense Secretary Robert Gates today gave what was billed as one of the longest speeches in his current job, defining the battlefield for...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Statement on the Defense Cuts Announced by Sec. Robert Gates

Please find below a statement from Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the defense cuts announced today by...

CUT-PAYGO-Lite and Other House Rules Changes

There have been a lot of questions swirling around the Cut-As-You-Go (CUTGO) provision that the House Republicans included in the rules...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Op-Ed: The Appropriations Pork Machine (The New York Times)

Ryan Alexander is president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. The early indicators of what to expect from the 112th Congress in terms of...

TCS VP Steve Ellis on NPR: How To Get Around The Ban On Earmarks

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense VP Steve Ellis spoke with NPR regarding ways to get around the earmark ban. You can listen to the NPR...

TCS VP Steve Ellis on MSNBC’s The Last Word discussing the Earmark Moratorium

Steve Ellis appeared on MSNBC's "The Last Word" program to discuss the earmark moratorium with Lawrence O'Donnell and Congressman Tim...

OP-ED: MCMAHON & ALEXANDER: Corn pork in the tax bill (The Washington Times)

Ethanol funds don't help farmers or the environment A handful of farm-state senators were once again able to funnel ethanol subsidies...

TCS mentioned by media outlets after TCS found 6,700 earmarks worth $8.3 billion in the Omnibus bill

Senate Democrats unveiled a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill yesterday.  The bill is over 1,900 pages in length.  Taxpayers for Common...

TCS VP Steve Ellis on CSPAN Washington Journal Discussing Tax Cut Legislation and Special Interest Provisions

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense VP Steve Ellis spoke with host Libby Casey on CSPAN Washington Journal. The discussion focused...

Holiday Honey Baked Hams—Special Interest Carveouts at the End of the Year

(Originally Posted 12/13/2010) The last legislative trains are pulling out of Capitol Hill station and there are a bunch of hobo...

Sen. McCain mentions TCS work on the Earmarks Request Database on the Senate Floor

Dec. 14, 2010 Taxpayers for Common Sense was mentioned by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) on the Senate floor today about our work on the...

TCS Action Letter Urges Congress to Oppose ANY Extension to the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to Congress urging members to oppose ANY extension to the Volumetric Ethanol...

Coalition Urges Congress to Oppose Wasteful $10 Billion Increase in DOE Loan Guarantee Authority in Continuing Resolution

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense alongside National Taxpayers Union, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Nonproliferation...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Statement on the National Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and Reform vote

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander issued a statement on the National Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and...

TCS Letter to Deficit Commissioners: Support the Final Report

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the commissioners of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform urging...

Deficit Commission Releases its Final Report—The Moment of Truth

So the "The Moment of Truth" is here. We've been combing through the specifics of the aptly titled final report of the National...

Congressional Briefing on Department of Energy Loan Guarantees

(Update 9/30/2010) Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense participated in a discussion on whether taxpayers should bear the risks for the...

Diverse Coalition Calls for Congress to End the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC)

Taxpayers for Common Sense, together with a diverse coalition of 58 groups, sent a letter to congressional leaders today urging them to...

Federal workers may not see pay raises for two years (Markeplace Radio)

Washington is going to have to make some hard decisions to bring the deficit down. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer takes a look at...

A Transportation Earmark is Still an Earmark

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) told a local newspaper this week that she supports a ban on earmarks – but then turned around and said that...

President Pumps up Nuke Budget Again

The White House released a plan yesterday to pump up their investment in the United States’ nuclear weapons complex by another $4.1...

TCS and the Grocery Manufacturers Association Hold a Briefing on the Impacts and Future of the Corn Ethanol Tax Credit

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense along with the Grocery Manufacturers Association held a briefing on the "Impacts and Future of the Corn...

TCS & Earmark Reforms Mentioned by Sen. James Inhofe on Senate Floor

Yesterday, while speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Inhofe (R-OK) highlighted the earmark reforms that TCS developed with other...

TCS Letter to Deficit Commissioners

TCS applauds the Co-chairs for not leaving any stone unturned and acknowledging the difficult budgetary choices that must be made given...

TCS VP Steve Ellis discusses The Future of Earmark Transparency on Capitol Hill

Yesterday, the Advisory Committee on Transparency hosted “the Future of Earmark Transparency” on Capitol Hill. The Advisory Committee...

Reforms Proposed by National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Co-Chairs Unveiled Today

The Co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform gave their proposals to fellow Commission members today....

As the Armed Services Committee Turns

Now that the final ballots have come in, it’s time to assess the impact the midterms will have on the Congressional committees that...

Third Quarter Results are in and still the same story: Billions in profit, billions more in subsidies to Big Oil

Ten months into 2010 and Big Oil has pumped in billions in profits. So far this year, top oil companies have made nearly $50 billion in...

TCS VP Steve Ellis on Fox Business News re: Top Ten Congressional Reforms for the 112th Congress

TCS VP Steve Ellis discussed our Top Ten Congressional Reforms for the 112th Congress on Fox Business News yesterday.  A link to the...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Urges Congress to extend $5 billion/year Ethanol Tax Credit

US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday urged members of Congress to reinstate the biodiesel tax credit and extend...

TCS Event: Greening the Budget - A Transatlantic Dialogue on Making Environmental and Fiscal Responsibility a Priority

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense participated in a discussion on "Making Environmental and Fiscal Responsibility a Priority." TCS was...

Good Government Groups & Lobbyists Hold a Briefing on The Future of Earmarks

Yesterday, Taxpayers for Common Sense Vice President Steve Ellis held a briefing alongside Melanie Sloan, Executive Director, Citizens...

TCS VP Steve Ellis debates American League of Lobbyists’ President Dave Wenhold on CNBC

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense Vice President Steve Ellis debated American League of Lobbyists President Dave Wenhold on the record...

GAO Report Slams DHS Management of SBInet Contractor

  The Department of Homeland Security did not effectively manage or oversee the prime contractor on its over-budget, behind-schedule...

Taxpayer Victory: Costly Nuclear Loan Guarantee Shelved

Score one for the taxpayers!  A $7.5 billion Department of Energy loan guarantee for the Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor near Lusby,...

Press Release: Broad Coalition Opposes Ethanol Industry Proposal, Supports Real Reform

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense alongside environmental groups and business associations hosted a conference call with members of the...

Keep it Clean

The key word here is simply.  Congress can pass and should pass what is referred to as a “clean” CR, where nothing changes from last...

Press Briefing: Nonpartisan Coalition of Lobbyists and Advocates to Announce Commonsense Earmark Ref

 Date: Monday, September 27, 2010 CAGW Leslie K. Paige 202-467-5334 lpaige@cagw.org TCS: Steve Ellis 202-546-8500...

VA Senators Author Amendment to Stop JFCOM Closure

Democratic Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner said today they will introduce an amendment to the FY2012 defense authorization...

Press Briefing: Nonpartisan Coalition of Lobbyists and Advocates to Announce Commonsense Earmark Reform Principles

  On Tuesday, September 28th, 2010, a diverse coalition of good government groups, and Washington lobbyists from both sides of the...

Hearing on Loan Guarantee Program Raises Concerns for Taxpayers

Last week the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee held a hearing on the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program.  The...

Earmark Lobbyist Pleads Guilty; Lobby Shop’s Earmarks Detailed

September 24, 2010 (Update) Former high-powered PMA lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti has pleaded guilty to an illegal contribution scheme in...

TCS testifies at a Senate Hearing on Reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program

Today, TCS presented testimony to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on "Reauthorization of the National Flood...

UPDATE: Senate adds $2.6 billion in earmarks to defense spending bill

(September 16)  In passing its edition of the FY2011 defense spending bill today, the Senate Appropriations Committee didn’t add much to...

Gates Mandates Affordability in Defense Spending

 Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday unveiled details of his effort to overhaul procurement processes, just ahead of Senate markups...

Tribute to Beth Daley: A Friendly Watchdog

Taxpayers for Common Sense mourns the passing of our friend and colleague Beth Daley, a fierce and dedicated advocate at the Project on...

New Report Urges Comprehensive Security Spending

A bipartisan group of national security experts including Taxpayers for Common Sense today released a report calling for a budget that...

TCS Statement on SACE FOIA lawsuit against DOE Loan Guarantee Program

  Statement by Steve Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers for Common Sense at Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Tele-Press Conference...

TCS on Gates Defense Reforms: One Small Step Forward

Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ new belt-tightening initiatives at the Department of Defense are a positive step forward. But much more...

FutureGen: Massive Clean Coal Project Changes Track, Still Securing $1 Billion Earmarked in the Stimulus

Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the plan to build “FutureGen” a massive commercial “clean coal” facility in Mattoon,...

Joint Letter in Opposition to H.R. 1264: The Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2009

Taxpayers for Common Sense and National Taxpayers Union joined together in opposition to H.R. 1264 - The Multiple Peril Insurance Act of...

Senate Takes a Step Toward Earmark Transparency

By an 11-5 vote today the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed  S.3335, the Earmark Transparency Act of 2010....

TCS Urges Congress to Enact Farm Bill Reforms

The House Committee on Agriculture is currently holding a series of hearings reveiwing our country's agriculture policy in order to lay...

Letter to Chairman Oberstar: TCS Supports Efforts to Rescind Unused Transportation Earmarks

Chairman James Oberstar House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 2165 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC...

Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Energy and Water Bill—Includes $17 billion in Risky Loan Guarantees

 On July 22, the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. The $34.97 billion bill...

Clean Energy Development Must Not Clean Out Taxpayer Pockets

Energy Legislation and Clean Energy Development The House of Representatives took another step closer to considering energy legislation...

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Passes Energy & Water Bill—Includes $17 BILLION in Risky Loan Guarantees

 On July 20, the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee approved a whopping $17 billion in new loan guarantees...

House Appropriations Subcommittee Passes Energy & Water Bill—Includes $50 BILLION in Risky Loan Guarantees

 On July 15, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee approved a $34.7 billion FY 2011 funding bill. Drafts of the bill are...

Joint Letter to Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee Opposing Any Loan Guarantee Authority in the Appropriations Bill

Taxpayers for Common Sense released a joint statement to the Senate Energy and Water Development Subcommittee urging members to oppose...

Alaska Adopts Sensible Policy on Transportation Earmarks

Earlier this week, our attention was pointed to a new earmark policy released by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public...

TCS Action: Support Key Provisions and Strengthening Amendments to the CLEAR Act; Oppose Weakening Amendments

On Wednesday June 14, The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to debate and vote on the Consolidated Land, Energy, and...

Blumenauer, Menendez Call for an End to Big Oil Subsidies

On June 30, 2010, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced the End Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act to cut a number of subsidies for big...

Abandoned Gulf Wells Could Cost Taxpayers

An AP investigation released yesterday found that in the gulf region alone, there are approximately 27,000 abandoned wells lying...

$36 Billion Dollar Giveaway to Nuclear Industry Causes Meltdown in Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee

As we posted yesterday, the Fiscal Year 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill mark-up scheduled in the Subcommittee was postponed. ...

House Energy and Water Appropriations Bill Mark-Up Delayed

Today the House Committee on Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee was scheduled to hold the first mark-up on a Fiscal Year...

Taxpayers Stand to Lose Billions on Risky Reactor

After receiving a 30 day extension, Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, accepted an $8.3 billion taxpayer-backed loan guarantee...

Faulty Virtual Fence Could Cost Taxpayers $8 Billion

A recent hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee on SBInet, Boeing’s borderland “virtual fence” that has failed to function...

Still Fortifying Against Barge Company Bailouts

The IWTF was created to pay for construction and maintenance on much of the nation’s most used waterways. Funded by a tax on fuel used...

U.S. Deficit Double-Edged Sword for Defense Budget Cuts

TCS National Security Analyst Laura Peterson published the following commentary as a guest writer on Budget Insight, the blog of the...

TCS Statement on BLM’s Setting of Fees for Solar Energy Development on Federal Lands

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the schedule of rental fees it will charge for development of solar generation...

New Report Urges Pentagon Role in Deficit Reduction

Today, the Sustainable Defense Task Force held a press conference at the Capitol Visitors Center releasing a report identifying roughly $1 trillion in Pentagon budget savings over the next ten years. ...

Senator Seeks Repeal of Billions of Dollars in Subsidies to Oil and Gas Companies

 Today, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) filed an amendment, 4318, to so-called tax extenders legislation that would repeal $35 billion...

Bipartisan Support for Earmark Database Bill Continues

(June 2)  Fully one-fifth of Senators have now joined efforts to show American taxpayers the true priorities of Congress. ...

BP Circular Logic on Taxpayer Subsidies For Cleanup

 “And our efforts will not come at any cost to the taxpayers.” – BP advertisement, New York Times, June 2, 2010 BP’s assurance that...

Billions in Nuclear Loan Guarantees Added to Emergency Spending

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action released a letter to the House opposing increased nuclear loan guarantees in the Emergency Supplemental. ...

Stop Billions MORE in Risky Treasury-Backed Loan Guarantees in Emergency War Spending Bill

 The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill being considered today in committee in the House includes an additional $18 billion in...

House Appropriations Committee Releases Emergency Spending Bill Summary

The House Appropriations Committee has released the Summary of the proposed FY2010 Supplemental Appropriations Act.  This more than $80...

TCS President Ryan Alexander’s Hearing Testimony on The Legality and Efficacy of Line-Item Veto

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified at the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Legality and Efficacy of Line-Item Veto Proposals...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Op-Ed: Why two jets are not better than one (Politico)

 Today, President Ryan Alexander issued an Op-Ed to Politico.com regarding the recent $485 million alternate engine addition by the House...

Federal Oil and Gas Agency Divided

Yesterday Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued a Secretarial Order dividing the Minerals Management Agency, the federal manager of oil...

War Spending Bill is No Place for More Nuclear Loan Guarantees

 Recent press reports indicate that the Administration and leadership on Capitol Hill have brokered a deal to add billions of dollars...

Taxpayers Oppose Barge Company Bailout

Taxpayers for Common Sense recently joined a number of other organizations in opposing attempts to further weaken cost-sharing...

TCS Action Letter: Energy and Climate Legislation: More Transparency and Accountability

  Energy and Climate Legislation: More Transparency and Accountability May 11, 2010 There are three key principles that must...

TCS Action Letter: Energy Tax Bill Should End Coal Liquids, Oil and Gas Tax Breaks and Not Extend the VEETC

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the House Committee on Ways and Means urging members to protect taxpayers' interests in drafting energy tax and green jobs legislation....

DOD Audit Still Nowhere in Sight

The Defense Department yesterday turned over to Congress an update on its attempts to pass an audit. Though Congress mandated audits back...

TCS Action Letter: Energy and Climate Legislation: More Transparency and Accountability,  Not More Giveaways

Taxpayers for Common Sense Action released a letter to the Senate urging support for a transparent energy and climate bill that reduces subsidies to well-established, highly profitable companies, and that holds industry accountable for meeting our clean energy needs....

UPDATED: TCS Statement on the IMPROVE Acquisition Act

(April 28) The full House of Represenatives today passed the IMPROVE Act with only a couple hours of debate and few amendments. The bill...

GAO Reports Oil & Gas Royalties Not Measuring Up

In its latest of many critical reviews, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week issued a report criticizing the Department...

Taxpayers Must Not Carry Water for Bad Projects: Comments on the Draft Principles and Standards for Water Resource Projects

Taxpayers for Common Sense submitted comments to the Federal Register concerning revisions to how the nation's water resources are...

Energy Savers That Don

   When the GAO is able to submit false information to gain certification for 15 products that do not even exist, taxpayers must...

TCS Supports New OMB Contracting Guidance

The White House took an important step this week toward rolling back one of the most pernicious pieces of contracting law on the federal...

Energy Savers That Don’t Exist

Would you approve a gas powered alarm clock for Energy Star certification without actually reviewing the device to see if the product is...

TCS Action Letter: OPIC - Stop Corporate Welfare

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action released a letter to the House urging support for legislation introduced by Representatives...

Bill Introduced to Extend Wasteful Ethanol Tax Credits

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense joined together with representatives from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, American Meat...

Gates: Defense Cuts Saved Taxpayers $330 Billion

Eliminating wasteful defense programs like the F-22 Raptor last year saved taxpayers $330 billion, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said...

TCS Statement on SBInet’s Funding Freeze

Below is a comment from TCS President Ms. Ryan Alexander on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s announcement that she will...

The Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program: History and Taxpayer Risk

Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program to provide loan guarantees...

House Republicans Adopt One-Year Earmark Moratorium

It’s been quite a whirlwind the last couple days. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) announced a...

House Spending Committee Continues Down Path of Earmark Reform

The House Appropriations Committee took a positive step today on the long journey toward earmark reform. Chairman David Obey (D-WI)...

Ensuring Taxpayer Losses

TCS Vice President Steve Ellis was invited to testify before a House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee holding a hearing...

TCS Action Letter: Blanket Tax Credit Extensions a Bad Deal for Taxpayers

This afternoon, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action sent a letter to the Senate opposing blanket tax credit extensions in the Tax Extenders...

TCS Action Letter: Liquid Coal Tax Credits Are Money Losers for Taxpayers

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense Action  released a letter to the Senate opposing the inclusion of generous tax breaks for liquid coal in...

Murtha’s Legacy

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) last night received a sendoff befitting a 36-year titan of Capitol Hill. In the Capitol’s Statuary Hall,...

The Flap Over the Jobs Bill: Flawed Politics of the Past Would Continue to Distribute Funds in the Future

Earlier this week, the Senate passed its version of the jobs bill—a bill which is flawed from a transportation and taxpayer perspective. ...

Ongoing TCS Analysis of the FY2011 Budget Proposal

(February 23, 2010) Border Security Still Not Paying its Dues Funding for the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s Secure Border Initiative...

Oil and Gas Orphans Cost Taxpayers Millions

Today the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a detailed report documenting taxpayer costs for cleaning up oil and gas wells...

Ethics Committee Ignores Earmark Problems

The House Ethics Committee today closed their investigation into ties between campaign donation to seven lawmakers and earmarks to the...

Representatives Murphy and Garrett Introduce Bill to End the Wasteful Market Access Program

Today TCS Action released a letter to Congress supporting H.R. 4683, the Scrap the MAP Act. The legislation is co-sponsored by...

Department of Energy Announces Risky Loan Guarantee for Southern Company

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 16, 2010 – Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, issued the following statement today in...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Statement: Nuclear Industry Must Pay For Its Renaissance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 16, 2010 -- The following is a written statement by Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense...

FY11 Budget Cuts Agriculture Waste

The President’s proposed FY2011 Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget is $25.8 billion, slightly reduced from the FY2010 level of $26.9...

TCS Letter in Opposition to Potentially Costly Water Bill

Today the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on  Water and Power held a hearing on H.R. 4225, a bill sponsored by Rep....

FY2011 Budget Request: President Terminates Yucca Mountain, Increases Funding for Other Nuclear Projects

The President’s budget ends funding for the Yucca Mountain project, which was intended to be a permanent nuclear waste disposal site....

FY2011 Budget Request: Administration Triples Risky Loan Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors

The President’s FY2011 budget proposal triples funding to the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program.  This includes $36 billion in...

FY2011 Budget Request: President Expands Cuts to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Similar to last year’s budget request, the Fiscal year 2011 budget request eliminates several longstanding oil and gas subsidies.  TCS is...

Top Nuclear Loan Guarantee Contenders in Financial Shambles

***Updated February 15, 2010*** The Department of Energy announced in December 2009 that they would soon issue Treasury-backed loan...

Joint Letter Urging Administration Not to Increase Risky Loan Guarantee Program

      President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500   Dear Mr. President:...

TCS Applauds President’s Commitment to End Big Oil’s Tax Breaks but Disappointed in Call for Nuclear and Clean Coal Subsidies

Written Statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense: Last night in his State of the Union address,...

Statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense on the State of the Union Address

Washington, DC - The President laid out the economic and fiscal challenges facing the country tonight in the State of the Union. The...

TCS on the President’s Proposed FY2011 Budget Freeze

Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the President’s reported proposed three-year budget freeze that excludes...

Senate Energy Committee Discusses Costly Nuclear Legislation

On December 15th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee held a hearing on two pieces of legislation aimed at boosting...

Citigroup Returning TARP Money May Cost Taxpayers Billions

A Washington Post story this morning throws some cold water on the rosy reports of taxpayers turning a profit under the financial...

Bailout Bank Bio: Citigroup Inc.

Citigroup continues to be one of the largest recipients of taxpayer assistance under TARP (the financial industry bailout). Citigroup is...

TCS Earmark Analysis and Proposal for Reform

The traditional partisan earmark split was maintained. Of earmarks requested by only Republicans or only Democrats, the old 60/40...

Coal to Liquids: A Costly Gamble

Discovered by German scientists during World War II, the Fischer-Tropsch process – referred to by the Department of Energy as...

Department of Energy Issues the “final rule” on Loan Guarantees

Today the Department of Energy (DOE) released their amended final rule governing the Title XVII loan guarantee program. The program’s...

Troop Surge Dollars Must be Watched

Since President Obama announced a 30,000 troop buildup for Afghanistan Tuesday, everyone is asking the inevitable question: How much is...

House Ethics Committee Investigation Memo Available

The July House Ethics Committee weekly summary report the Washington Post reported on last month is now available here. Wikileaks posted...

House Office Expenditures Available Electronically

The U.S. House of Representatives has taken one more step toward transparency with the inaugural publication of an electronic version of...

Dollars Fly Overseas to Military Bases

The annual military construction spending bill is not generally a big deal for Congress, which treats it as an opportunity to fund gyms...

Make the Contractor Performance Database Available to the Public

After years of debate, taxpayers are close to finally getting a federal contractor misconduct database that should stop their money from...

Taxpayer Risk Soars as Congress Considers Nuclear Option

While Congress considers proposals to funnel billions in loan guarantees for the construction of new nuclear reactors, the costs of...

Watchdogs to Defense Secretary Gates: Tell Congress Earmarks Cannot be Tolerated

Government watchdogs yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging him to make it unmistakably clear to Congress...

Senators Deliver Earmark Cash for Campaign Contributors

Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) has cross-referenced earmarks sought and obtained by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee members...

Bailout Transparency Continues to Fall Short

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) just released its eighth report on TARP, this one a look back over the life of the program. ...

Oil Companies To Reap More Profits on Backs of Federal Taxpayers

Taxpayers will likely lose at least $19 billion to oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court...

Inouye, Cochran Benefit from Earmark Recipients

Taxpayers for Common Sense has mapped the connections between earmarks and campaign contributions for the chairman and ranking member of...

Administration Calls for an End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

At the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh today, President Obama and the other G-20 leaders called for an international end to fossil fuel...

House Approves 3-Month Highway Bill Extension

The House of Representatives last night voted overwhelmingly – 335-85 – to extend the nation’s transportation program (SAFETEA-LU), which...

TCS Weighs in on Proposed Changes to the DOE Loan Guarantee Program

Yesterday TCS submitted comments to the Department of Energy (DOE) on proposed changes to the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. In early...

A Billion Here A Billion There

Taxpayers received a bit of good news this morning.  The Treasury Department announced it will be letting the Guarantee Program for Money...

NEW ANALYSIS: Royalty-in-Kind Program Costing Taxpayers Millions

Oil and Gas companies have skirted millions of dollars in payments owed to the federal government for the extraction of natural gas from...

Salazar Announces Termination of Royalty-in-Kind Program

This morning, Interior Secretary Salazar announced that he will end the mismanaged and wasteful Minerals Management Service’s (MMS)...

More than 161,000 Abandoned Mines in the West

A recent GAO report found that there are at least 161,000 abandoned mines in western states. The research, conducted in the states of...

Watchdogs Release Database Detailing Earmarks and Campaign Contributions

                                                                          For immediate...

Nuclear Power Subsidies

Since the nation began using nuclear energy, the federal government has provided billions in subsidies to the industry. More than $85...

Important Legislation Calls for End to Double Subsidies for Hardrock Mining Operations

Taxpayers for Common Sense applauds Senators Feingold (D-WI), Cantwell (D-WA), and Feinstein (D- CA) for introducing the Elimination of...

TCS Letter Supporting the Elimination of Double Subsidies for the Hardrock Mining Industry Act of 2009

This week TCS released a letter to Congress supporting the Elimination of Double Subsidies for the Hardrock Mining Industry Act of 2009 ....

TCS Letter to Congress on Salmon Solutions and Planning Act

This week TCS released a letter to Congress supporting the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act. The legislation was introduced by...

TCS Thanks Representatives Jim McDermott and Tom Petri for Introduction of Fiscally Responsible Salmon Bill

Today Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Tom Petri (R- WI), along with 23 other cosponsors from across the country, introduced the...

House Opportunity to Shoot Down Funding for Defense Contractor Raided by FBI

There are several amendments on the House Defense spending bill that is on the floor this morning. In addition to the important earmark...

Contracts for Synthetic Fuels not Included in Senate Defense Bill

Late last night the Senate completed their work on the Defense Authorization bill, S. 1390.  The bill passed with an overwhelming...

House Defense Appropriators Rake in Earmarks for Campaign Contributors

Taxpayers for Common Sense analyzed the FY2010 Defense Appropriations spending bill that recently passed the House Appropriations...

TCS Statement on the Senate’s F-22 Cut

The following is a statement by Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander on the 58-40 Senate vote to eliminate additional...

TCS Urges Senate to Oppose Amendments for Costly Synthetic Fuels

This week the Senate is considering the Defense Authorization bill, S. 1390. Several Senators have offered amendments regarding the use of...

Hearing on Alaska Native Corporations Probes Wasteful Spending

A July 16 hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight on federal procurement...

UPDATE: Senate Strips F-22s From Defense Authorization Bill

(July 21) The Senate today took a small step for Pentagon reform and a giant step for fiscal sanity when it voted 58-40 to approve the...

House Defense Appropriations Committee Members Rake in Nearly $1 million from Potential Earmark Beneficiaries

A Taxpayers for Common Sense analysis found that the House lawmakers who write the annual defense spending bill asked for billions of...

House Appropriators Reject Weapons Cuts

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommitte today set the tone for the upcoming debate over Congresses’ biggest spending bill. Following...

TCS Holds Congressional Briefing on Defense Spending

Taxpayers for Common Sense sponsored a briefing for House of Representatives members and staffers Wednesday, July 15, titled Defense...

TCS and NTU to House: Don’t Fund F-22

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense and the National Taxpayers Union sent a joint letter to all members of the House of Representatives...

TCS Letter to Congress: Protect Taxpayers from Risky Reactors

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to each member of the House and Senate urging them to oppose any legislative actions to...

TCS Letter to the Senate on Hardrock Mining Laws

                 June 23, 2009 Dear Senator, For more than 137...

House Energy and Water Subcommittee Cuts a Billion Dollars from the President’s Budget Request

Last Thursday, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development held their mark-up of the fiscal year 2010 Energy and Water...

Captain Morgan’s Bailout Binge

Bloomberg News reports today on some of the more egregious unintended consequences of the Economic Stabilization legislation (Bank...

Oversight and Government Reform Hearing on the V-22 Osprey

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing Tuesday on the future of the V-22 Osprey, an aircraft with a...

House Passes Cap and Trade Legislation

Today, the House took an historic step towards addressing climate change by passing The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009....

Obama Waves Veto Pen at Wasteful Fighter Jet

President Obama came out swinging yesterday, issuing the first veto threat of his presidency to tackle a congressional sacred cow...

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee: Hearing on Highway Trust Fund Insolvency

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works discussed the looming insolvency of the highway trust fund today with Secretary of...

Congressional Watchdog Reviews Bailout Program

Congress’s watchdog, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), just released its fifth and the most recent of its required reports on...

Senate Energy Committee Passes American Clean Energy Leadership Act

Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources completed work on the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA), passing...

Changes to Loan Guarantee Program Adopted by Senate Committee

On June 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee adopted S. 949, the 21st Century Energy and Technology Deployment Act as...

Taxpayer Giveaway to Oil and Gas Industries Repealed in Senate Energy Committee

Today the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee narrowly passed an amendment to repeal the outer continental shelf deep water and...

House Agriculture Committee Hearing on Pending Climate Change Legislation

Last Thursday, the House Agrculture Committee questioned Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a hearing on pending climate change...

Hearing on the 2010 Dept. of Transportation Budget: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development

On June 4th, Rep. John Olver (D-MA) led the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and...

Ethics Committee Reviewing Lawmaker-PMA Group Ties

As reported by Roll Call, the House Ethics Committee has announced that it is reviewing the PMA Group, a lobbying firm under...

GAO and Land Swaps

The GAO has just released a lengthy report on the questionable land exchange process.  TCS has frequently pointed out how the process is...

House Commerce, Justice, Science Earmarks

The House Appropriatations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) released the list of earmarks from its...

Congressional Oversight Panel June Report

The Congressional Oversight Panel, a Congressionally appointed watchdog for last fall's bailout, has released its June report.  Access...

House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on Department of Energy FY10 Budget Request

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony from Department of Energy Secretary...

Nuclear Weapons: Transformation or Business As Usual?

Two Senate hearings on nuclear weapons this week showed that the Obama administration’s charge toward a smaller—and hopefully...

Letter to Congress: Don’t Overload the Supplemental

Keep C-17s and earmarks out of the 2009 war spending bill.   Download a pdf of TCS's joint letter to Congress     June 2,...

John Wilke: Americans Lose a Taxpayer Champion

May 4, 2009: Taxpayers across the country have lost a great friend and ally. John Wilke, Wall Street Journal reporter and editor, lost...

Ongoing TCS Analysis of the FY2010 Budget Proposal

(May 11, 2009; 3:15 pm) The Treasury's Office of Tax Policy has released its General Explanations of the Administration's Fiscal Year...

Massive Increase for DOE Loan Guarantee Program Dropped from Budget Resolution

The Conference Agreement on the Budget Resolution that is expected to pass the House and Senate today does not include language...

Corps of Engineers Releases Stimulus Project List

Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their stimulus project list. The first thing that comes to mind is that the Obama...

Congress Releases 2010 Joint Budget Resolution Conference Report

Congress just released the conference report on its joint Budget resolution. The House may take it up as soon as today and the Senate...

Bailout Inspector General Report: Tremendous Expansion in the Scope, Scale, and Complexity of TARP

Neil Barofsky, Special Inspector General for the Treasury's Toxic Assets Relief Program (SIGTARP), released his quarterly report on the...

Fight Over Weapons Cuts is About to Get Ugly

At Monday’s unveiling of major weapons cuts in the 2010 defense budget, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he hoped members of Congress...

Senate Adopts Amendment Supporting Massive Expansion of the DOE Loan Guarantee Program

Late last night the Senate passed an amendment to the Budget Resolution supporting a $50 billion reserve fund for the Department of...

Members of Congress Voice Support for Cost-Effective Salmon Recovery

This week more than 70 Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to President Obama asking for his commitment to restoring Columbia and...

$50 Billion Expansion for Loan Guarantee Program is back

Today the Senate is voting on dozens of amendments to its annual Budget Resolution; the blueprint for the Congress’s spending plan for...

No Joke: Stevens Conviction to be Thrown Out

According to media reports, the Justice Department will ask for dismissal of the indictment against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (R)...

Bank Bailouts: Federal Watchdogs Critical of TARP

This morning the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing to receive updated information from the federal watchdog agencies charged with...

Recommendations to the President for Earmark Reform

At Taxpayers for Common Sense, we believe that all funding decisions must be made on the basis of merit, federal priorities and national...

TCS Supports Reform of 1872 Mining Law

Congressman Rahall has introduced legislation, H.R. 699 to reform the law that governs the mining of gold, silver, copper, uranium and...

President Cuts Oil and Gas Subsidies

The President’s budget highlights, released last week, took the ax to major subsidies to the oil and gas industry. Through the...

National Security Spending in the 2010 Budget

Though the topline numbers in the Obama administration’s national security budget for 2010 may not make headlines, there’s a lot of...

Billions in Risky Energy Loan Guarantees Included in Omnibus

The Omnibus Appropriations bill that passed yesterday in the House and is expected next week in the Senate includes $47 billion for the...

Agriculture Policy Reform in the Federal Budget

The President’s budget proposals for the Department of Agriculture includes a number of items that TCS would like to see come to...

President Obama Releases 2010 Federal Budget

President Obama has released his proposed federal budget for FY2010.  Download a copy of the budget here:  FY10 Federal Budget...

TCS Presents: Loan Guarantees and You

Today TCS explained the basics of the Department of Energy's loan guarantees program at an Institute for Energy and Environmental...

Letter to the President: Pledge to Keep the Stimulus Earmark Free

The President The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, On behalf of the millions of members of our respective...

Final Stimulus Bill Posted

The House of Representatives website is being bombarded by taxpayers trying to read the final economic stimulus bill. All 1500...

Support Independent Oversight of the Stimulus

President Obama is likely to place his signature on a $789 billion stimulus bill by President’s Day. Thank you to all of you who have...

Senate Holds Hearing on Energy Loan Guarantee Program

Today the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program. The program,...

$50 Billion Expansion of Loan Guarantee Program Cut from Stimulus

During conference negotiations over the stimulus bill, the egregious $50 billion expansion of the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan...

Knik Arm Crossing Gets Another Cost Estimate

An independent cost estimate puts the price tag for the Knik Arm Crossing—a.k.a. Don Young’s Way—in Anchorage, Alaska at $686 million...

Letter to the House: Oppose $50 Billion DOE Loan Guarantee Program in the Stimulus

February 10, 2009 Dear Representative, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges you to oppose the inclusion of an additional $50...

Causes of the Financial Crisis (CRS Report)

A handy website called Open CRS has been tracking down as many Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports they can get their hands on...

Taxpayer Victory—We Have Stopped the Congressional Pay Raise

UPDATE--February 10, 2009 The House of Representatives has heard your call. Today, Speaker Pelosi instructed the Appropriations...

FBI Raids Lobby Firm with Murtha Ties

ABC News is reporting that the FBI has raided the offices of PMA Group, a powerful lobbying outfit here in Washington, D.C. The firm...

CBO: Senate Stimulus Costs $838.2 Billion

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its score for the Senate version of the stimulus legislation.  CBO estimates the...

Senate Reaches Deal on Stimulus Bill

This evening the Senate reached a deal on the economic stimulus bill. The deal was cut after agreement was met over what money should  be...

Two Bailout Oversight Reports Released

Two official reports on the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), a.k.a. the bailout,  have been released.  One is from the TARP...

Senate Starts Debate on Economic Stimulus This Week

Starting today, the Senate will be debating its version of the Economic Stimulus bill. The Senate Appropriation Committee has posted its...

Letter to the Senate: Stop $50 Billion Blow-Up of DOE Loan Guarantee Program

(Download a pdf version of this letter) February 2, 2009 Dear Senator, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges you to oppose...

Senate Substitute Economic Stimulus Bill Released

The Senate has released its final version of the Economic Stimulus bill.  Download the full bill here.  Debate on the bill began Monday,...

Clean Coal Gets Boost in House and Senate Stimulus Bills

Both the House and Senate included increase for clean coal technologies in their stimulus bills. The House provided $2.4 billion for...

Bank Bailout: GAO to Treasury Department - More Effort Needed

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has just released its second report on the progress of the Treasury Department’s in...

Stimulus Aid to States: Some Room for Improvement

States are struggling in the current recession, and unlike the federal government, most are required to balance their budgets.  ...

Bailout Oversight Panel Releases Special Report

Today the Congressional Oversight Panel released a special report on regulatory reform. The bottom line, it calls for a complete overhaul...

Senate Puts Taxpayers on the Hook for More than $50 Billion in Risky Loan Guarantees

This week, both the House and Senate included increases for the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee program in their stimulus bills, but...

Key Accountability and Transparency Provisions in the Economic Stimulus Legislation

There are a lot of legitimate concerns about the size of the economic stimulus legislation and where some of the specific funds are...

National Geographic To Air Government-Funded Homeland Security Special

A friend of Taxpayers for Common Sense in Maine just alerted us to something very interesting. Tonight, National Geographic is going to...

Evaluating Economic Stimulus Legislation

The House of Representatives is expected Wednesday to vote on an economic stimulus package, H.R. 1, the ‘‘American Recovery and...

House Economic Stimulus Bill Released

The latest version of the economic stimulus legislation that contains both the appropriations and tax portions of the legislation has...

Stimulus Adds to Stratospheric Satellite Costs

Despite energetic lobbying by the defense industry (and some lawmakers) the $825 billion stimulus bill now emerging from committee...

Senate Finance Committee Releases Portion of Stimulus Bill

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on its version of an $825 billion economic stimulus package next week. The House package...

GAO and Bailout banks

As part of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) work on offshore tax havens, their most recent report – released today – really...

House Releases $825 billion Economic Stimulus Bill

Today, the House Appropriations committee released their portion of the proposed $825 billion economic stimulus package. Here is the...

Are Bailout Banks Lending Money?

This morning, The New York Times published an excellent story about some of the problems with the financial sector bailout – the Troubled...

Better Bailout Disclosure Coming?

One of the concerns Taxpayers for Common Sense and others have raised about the bailout funds is that the beneficiaries weren’t being...

Earmark Reform Bill Introduced in the Senate

Taxpayers for Common Sense applauds Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) for...

Stimulus Not Needed for Department of Defense

Of all the industries in line for a handout in this financially frightening time, the defense industry would seem to bring up the rear....

Congressman Gets Earmark for His Church

Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) appears to have taken the saying “taking care of your flock” to another level. Rush, who is also an...

House, Senate Appropriators Offer Further Earmark Reforms

Today, the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman announced new earmark reforms for FY10 spending bills. The new reforms:...

Treasury Department Releases Report on Bailout Progress

On New Year's Eve day, the Treasury Department released their response to the questions posed by the Congressional Oversight Panel over...

Ring in the New Year with Citibank Rose Bowl

We caught an ad earlier for the Rose Bowl, excuse us, we mean, the “Rose Bowl presented by Citi”. That’s right, for the first time the...

Capitol Visitor Center Still Not Completed

Hundreds of millions of dollars overbudget, four years overdue and the Capitol Visitor Center is still not finished. Although...

New Reports Document Wasteful War Spending

Just in time for a new war funding request to hit Capitol Hill, a trio of recently released documents recall just how badly the Pentagon...

What $24 Million Gets These Days

The controversial National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), located in a former department store in the congressional district of Rep....

Nuclear Subsidies Past and Present

Since the beginning of nuclear energy the federal government has provided billions in handouts to the industry. More than $85 billion has...

Read the Big 3 Automakers’ Bailout Plans

Last week, the CEOs of Detroit’s “big 3” automakers made their second trip to Washington to plead for government support in the form of a...

Private Industry Finds Coal-to-Liquids too Risky So Why Should Taxpayers Pick-Up the Tab?

A new report today released by the RAND Corporation addresses the costs, benefits and risks associated with commercial development of...

Sens. McCaskill and Grassley Support Strengthened Bailout Watchdog

Today, Sens. McCaskill (D-MO), Grassley (R-IA) and several others introduced legislation to strengthen the Inspector General for Troubled...

Auto Bailout Draft Legislation

TCS has obtained a draft copy of the auto bailout legislation. Read the text here. We just got it and are looking through it, but...

Sources Say Secret Hold on Bailout Watchdog Lifted

Reuters News Agency reported late last night that, according to Senate aides, the secret hold on Neil Barofsky’s nomination as Inspector...

Bailout Lacks Measures of Success and Oversight Tools

It’s been about two months since the U.S. Treasury Department implemented its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). With nearly half of...

Uncle Sam Should Review Sports Sponsorships by Bailout Banks

Under the financial bailout, taxpayers are becoming silent investors in numerous banks and other financial institutions. While Uncle Sam...

Final Regulations for Oil Shale Leasing on Federal Lands

Despite the federal government’s recognition that “any significant production of oil shale is not likely to occur for a number of years,”...

TCS Statement on Colorado Public Awareness Effort on Energy

Statement by Jill Lancelot, Co-founder/Senior Advisor, regarding Colorado public awareness effort on energy.   Statement by Jill...

Oil and Gas Subsidies: Overview

Taxpayer subsidies to the oil and gas industry have played a major role in U.S. energy policy since 1916. Two of the largest tax breaks,...

The Non-Oversight Cannon

Last week we told you about a congressman’s efforts to feed the already overstuffed Army modernization program called Future Combat...

Bring Home the Bailout Bucks

Got a pen? Taxpayers for Common Sense has obtained the application needed to get a piece of the bailout pie. We’re all for streamlining...

Nuclear Reprocessing

Nuclear fuel reprocessing is the process of collecting nuclear waste to recover and reuse plutonium and uranium. Despite decades of...

New Tax Breaks Increase Bailout Cost

Outside of the financial sectors and the business pages of newspapers and magazines, most people likely missed the recent Treasury...

Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Bank Bailout Spending

Concerns are rising that the Treasury Department is allowing banks too much leeway to decide how they spending the bailout funds. Reports...

Banks Pressed on Bonus Plans

Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney General of the State of New York, sent a letter yesterday to nine banks seeking each bank’s “expected payments...

New Report Raises Concerns with Royalty-In-Kind Program

A report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is at risk of...

Gates: New Nukes Are Good For You and Cheaper Too

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates fired a preemptive strike against potential cuts to the U.S. nuclear weapons program this week by...

New Congress Should Freeze Own Pay

With the economy on the ropes, hundreds of thousands of Americans losing their jobs, and a national debt over $10 trillion, it is time...

Rum Producers Benefit from Bailout Bill

Little noticed beneficiaries of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, commonly known as the $810 billion bailout bill, are...

Highway Group Calls for Doubling of Transportation Spending

In case you missed it, the American Association of State and Highway Officials (AASHTO) earlier this week announced its proposal for a...

Stevens Trial: Senator Takes Stand in Own Defense

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), on trial for failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars of gifts from Veco Corporation and its former...

50% of Bailout Package Spent

With Treasury’s $250 billion bank investment plan, and notice served on Congress that an additional $100 billion will be tapped to...

President Approves $5 Billion in Defense Earmarks

The President today signed the 2009 Defense Authorization bill. While the levels of earmarks are down significantly from previous years,...

Top 10 Tax Sweeteners in the Bailout Bill

Update: The House has just passed the final version of the 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, without making any changes to the...

Treasury Releases Interim Oversight Policies

The Treasury Department today released interim policies on hiring contractors to manage the bailout and to handle potential conflicts of...

House Passes Bailout Bill

The House of Representatives today passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 by 263-171. Click here to read about the $110...

TCS Statement on the Upcoming Senate Bailout Vote

Washington, D.C – The following is a prepared statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the upcoming...

Oversight Provisions in Bailout Bill

The 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act contains stronger oversight protections than the three-page bill Treasury Secretary Henry...

TCS Statement on the Bailout Plan

Washington, D.C – The following is a prepared statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the Emergency...

Joint Letter to Congress: Don’t Extend Loan Guarantee Program in the Continuing Resolution

  Dear Representative, On behalf of our combined memberships, we urge you to oppose any time extensions for the Department of...

TCS Action Letter to the Senate:  Oppose Subsidies to the Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Industries

In a letter to each Senator, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges the Senate to oppose any effort to provide additional subsidies to...

Senate Turns Against Earmark Reform

Tonight, the Senate passed the $612.5 billion Fiscal Year 2009 defense authorization bill. Virtually all the amendments to the...

TCS Action Letter to the Senate on Defense Authorization Bill

The following is a letter from Taxpayers for Common Sense Action prior to upcoming Senate vote on the Defense Authorization Bill for...

New Report Details Problems with Oil and Gas Royalty System

A new report finds that the federal oil and gas systems inability to adapt royalty rates or lease contracts to market conditions could...

DHS Needs to Slow Down, Rethink Fencing Future

The Department of Homeland Security blames its doubled cost estimates for the border fence on pricey fuel, labor and materials. But it’s...

Sex, Drugs, and and Mismanagement at the Department of the Interior

Government officials responsible for the collection of billions of dollars of oil royalties to the federal treasury accepted gifts from...

White House Targets Contract Reform

The White House has targeted several contracting reform initiatives in the Senate defense authorization bill as veto-worthy, though its...

Highway Trust Fund Fix Hurts Taxpayers

The Senate yesterday approved an $8 billion transfer from the Treasury to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (the House passed the same measure...

GAO: Border Costs Climbing the Fence

Federal watchdogs confirmed our suspicions today when they revealed that the cost of building a 600+ mile fence along our southern border...

Wasilla, Alaska Benefited from Nearly $27 Million in Earmarks from 1996 to 2002

As Mayor of Wasilla between 1996-2002, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) helped get nearly $27 million in earmarked federal funding. Under her...

New Analysis: Lawmakers Cutting Their Earmark Calories

During this election year, lawmakers are showing slight restraint in writing the earmarks in the FY 2009 spending bills, according to an...

Roadless Rule Struck Down Again

The so-called roadless rule, promulgated in the final days of the Clinton Administration, has once again been struck down by U.S....

Free Ride for Foreign Companies

No one likes paying taxes. But most of us suck it up and do so every year, which helps pay for everything from new roads and bridges to...

CBO: $85 Billion for Iraq Contractors

The Congressional Budget Office today released a report providing some of the most comprehensive estimates we’ve seen to date on the...

Don Young Legal Defense Fund Disclosures Released

New documents show that Rep Don Young (R-AK) has raised $54,000 for his legal defense fund. This money was raised mainly from Alaskan...

Missile Defense Finds Funds in Milcon Earmarks

This week we finished databasing earmarks in the Fiscal Year 2009 Senate bill that funds military construction and veterans’ affairs,...

Alaska’s Federal Spending Bounty

Like we needed any other facts to verify that Senator Ted Stevens has had the appropriations committee wired for some time, we used...

Stevens Obtained $3.2 billion in earmarks between 2004-2008

Taxpayers for Common Sense has released the last four years of earmark data for Alaska to help create an understanding of how powerful...

Senator Stevens Indicted on Corruption Charges: Taxpayers for Common Sense Calls for Senator’s Removal from Committees

Written Statement from Steve Ellis, Vice President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on Sen. Stevens (R-AK) indictment “Taxpayers for...

Quick Overview of the Stevens Indictment

The indictment handed down today in the federal case against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK): Click Here Stevens was indicted on seven federal...

TCS Statement on Don Young Ad Controversy

Washington, D.C. – The following is a written Statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense: It has come to...

Bad Contracts Hurting Good People

Our men and women in the military face enough problems without dealing with faulty wiring, contaminated water and corroded ammunition. So...

TCS Requests Don Young Campaign Remove Misleading Ads

Recently it was brought to our attention that Alaskans for Don Young has been running radio ads claiming that Taxpayers for Common Sense...

House Strongly Opposes Funds for Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

The FY09 House Energy and Water Bill specifically denies funds for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), a large-scale DOE...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Mortgage Bailout

There have been a lot of numbers floating around the proposed bailout backstop for the government sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae...

Should Duke Cunningham be Pardoned?

Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA), currently in the middle of an 8-year prison sentence for taking $2.4 million in bribes from...

Los Alamos’ Insecurity Complex

Though two of the nation’s largest nuclear labs are no doubt sad to see their patron Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) depart Congress, the...

Marines Advertising on Hummers

Anyone who has a TV knows the military spends tons of money for recruiting prospective troops into the services. Recently, while watching...

TCS, Allies and Taxpayers Find 76 Lawmakers Publish Earmark Requests

Every year lawmakers submit tens of thousands of earmark requests to the Appropriations Committees. Only a percentage of these make it...

End of a Nuclear Era

Nuclear weapons labs and the Senator who loves them closed a chapter yesterday when the Senate cut funding for a controversial program to...

Schoolyard Antics Derail House Spending Bills

In a tussle worthy of a schoolyard, the spending bosses in the House of Representatives have decided to hang up their cleats and go home....

GAO Recommends Congress Limit Loan Guarantees

In a new report released today, the Government Accountability Office recommends Congress limit the amount of loan guarantees issued by...

Joint Letter to the President on Suspension of Ethanol Tariff

Joint Letter to the President on Suspension of Ethanol Tariff The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States of...

GAO Finds Funny Fence Numbers at DHS

At last, the Department of Homeland Security has given us some idea of what its border fence is going to cost—and it looks like a...

House Appropriations Committee Smackdown

The House appropriations committee had a melt down today. After a bit of posturing, it appeared they were going to get down to business...

House Appropriations Committtee Disciplines DHS

The $40 billion Homeland Security spending bill marked up by the House Appropriations Committee yesterday is $2.3 billion over the...

Independent Audit Ordered for Bridge to Nowhere

The Anchorage Daily News reports today that the state of Alaska will ask for an independent cost estimate of the Knik Arm bridge.  This...

Highway Trust Fund Being Driven to Bankruptcy

Last week, USA Today had a story about how the decline in miles traveled by America’s drivers, largely the result of historically high...

Appropriations Committees Ramp Up Activities

Theyyyyyyyyyyy’re back. On both sides of the Capitol, the spending gears are starting to turn as the Appropriations committees meet to...

Don Young’s “A Team” Lobbyist List Uncovered

A two-page “survival guide” issued in 2007 to interns in Rep. Don Young’s (R–AK) office lists nine transportation lobbyists as “The A...

GAO Sides with Boeing in Tanker Contract Dispute

The Hill is reporting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has sided with Boeing in a dispute between aerospace giants over a...

Pouring Concrete on the Border

As Congress continues to threaten to withhold funds from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for failing to provide cost estimates...

GAO: Gulf Leases Could Cost Taxpayers $53 Billion

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today estimates taxpayers will lose up to $53 billion from Gulf of Mexico oil...

Defense Earmarks

What a week! So we are slogging through the defense spending bill. From our counting of the earmark disclosure tables at the end of the...

Istook Sent Earmarks to Six Abramoff Clients

A chief of staff for a former House Appropriations Committee Chairman pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to conspiring to defraud...

The Nine Lives of the C-17

Now that the first drafts of the defense spending bills are rolling in, the tea leaves are beginning to curl into place to reveal which...

Fencing in the Dark

Members of Congress are finally waking up to the fact that a billion-dollar behemoth is about to rise from America’s southwestern border....

The Gas Tax Holiday:  Good Politics, Bad Policy

With the average price of a gallon of gasoline over $3.601 and diesel well over $4.002, it’s no surprise that political solutions to the...

TCS Testimony: Fiscal Implications of Border Security Strategies

Testimony of Laura Peterson, Senior Policy Analyst for Taxpayers for Common Sense before the House Subcommittee on National Parks,...

Bipartisan Group of Senators Call for Taxpayer Protections in New Mining Law

Washington, D.C. – Today Senators Feingold (D-WI), Sununu (R-NH), Cantwell (D-WA), and Gregg (R-NH) led a bi-partisan push for the...

More Money, More Problems

Can earmarks be too much of a good thing? Some high-level Defense Department officials think so. TCS commented this week on a recent DoD...

Dude, Who’s Watching My Contract?

The first question that demands answering after reading last week’s story about the 22-year-old who sold the Army $300 million worth of...

Hardrock Mining Royalty – Fair to Taxpayers, Fair to Industry

Fair Compensation for Taxpayers For more than eight decades the coal, oil, and natural gas industries have all paid royalties for the...

DeMint Earmark Moratorium Amendment Fails

So it finally happened at 10:30 tonight. The DeMint earmark moratorium amendment to the budget resolution came to a vote. When faced...

More on Earmark Transparency

We’re still waiting to see what Speaker Pelosi does; word has been that it will be today. Over in the Senate, it keeps getting more...

Boeing’s Fence Operation

While the Pentagon is investigating why Boeing spent its own money to keep the operations line for its C-17 aircraft open, the company...

Future Cash Combat

11:30 a.m. -- The Army’s Future Combat Systems, a sprawling modernization program that encompasses several phased deployments of weapons...

Missile Defense

11:20 a.m. -- The administration’s request included $9 billion for the Missile Defense Agency, the organization within the Defense...

Interest Payments on Debt Skyrocket

3:25 p.m. -- With the economy in the tank and rising federal debt, the costs of servicing the federal debt is skyrocketing. According to...

As the Omnibus Turns

While House Appropriations Cardinals are supposedly shaking the spending trees to find programs to cut from the end-of-the-year...

Veto – Channeling Ike on WRDA

It’s a Friday afternoon, but I thought you might be interested in another veto statement from a few years back. The WRDA bill was called...

Oppose Blank Check Loan Guarantees in Final Energy Bill

Dear Senator, We urge you to oppose the inclusion of language in the final energy bill exempting the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan...

TCS Requests Ethics Investigation of Coconut Road Earmark

The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Chairwoman The Honorable Doc Hastings, Ranking Member House Committee on Standards of Official...

Hardrock Mines on Federal Lands Provide No Return to Taxpayers

Overview Under the General Mining Law of 1872, mining companies pay no royalties to the federal government for hardrock minerals...

Ask Senator Stevens to Give Up Committee Assignments

Dear Leader McConnell: I'm writing to request that you ask Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) to temporarily recuse himself from his...

Testimony - Federal Crop Insurance Program

Testimony of Steve Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers for Common Sense before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's hearing on...

Land Swap for Cash Puts Rep. Rick Renzi in the Hot Seat

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) was indicted in federal court on Feb. 22, 2008, on 35 counts including official extortion and money laundering....

Written Testimony Royalties at Risk Hearing before House Natural Resources Committee

Good morning Chairman Rahall and members of the committee.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.  My name is Ryan Alexander...

“Relief” for Oil and Gas A Fiscal Headache for Taxpayers

“Now, we don’t think oil companies need tax incentives or subsidies to drill for oil at $70 a barrel, or for that matter at $25.”  Wall...

North Shore Road

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Swain County), North Carolina Projected Cost to Federal Taxpayers: $604 million January 12,...

TCS Applauds the Elimination of the Alaska Bridges to Nowhere

Washington, D.C. – The following is a written statement from Jill Lancelot, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense: The conferees on...

TCS Commissioned Report—Billions Spent to Deter Marijuana Use, But Program Effectiveness Remains Unknown

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in the United States, and study after study shows that despite spending billions of...

TCS Statement on House Passage of TEA-LU

Washington, D.C. - The following is a statement by Keith Ashdown, Vice President of Policy at Taxpayers for Common Sense on H.R. 3 -...

TCS Statement on C-130J Bid Protest

Washington, D.C. - Prepared statement by Keith Ashdown,Vice President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the Government Accountability...

TCS Testimony: Waste, Fraud and Abuse in U.S. Government Contracting in Iraq

Oral Statement of Steve Ellis, Vice President of Programs, Taxpayers for Common Sense before Senate Democratic Policy Committee...

Bulldozed: How Taxpayers Get Leveled by Highway Pork

Despite the call on Capitol Hill for fiscal belt tightening to deal with record deficits, the House has shown an unprecedented hunger for...

Homeland Security: A Boon for Businesses

On June 6, 2002, President George W. Bush unveiled his plan for a new Cabinet-level agency with a staff of 170,000 and a budget of $37...

Don’t Forget the Debt

As tax-cut fever grips Washington, details like the fact that Uncle Sam is still deeply in the red are being downplayed.   While...

ISTEA Brewing Trouble

As the House overwhelmingly passed its version of the budget-busting new highway bill last week 317–85, divisions brewed between...

Federal Distress

When it comes to shipping supplies, the Department of Defense is no Federal Express. DOD loses track of sixty percent of the $5 billion...

Green Scissors Michigan Released

In the first single state effort of the national Green Scissors Campaign, TCS and the Michigan Land Use Institute released the Green...

Engineering Boondoggles

While Washington is wringing its hands about the automatic across-the-board budget cuts known as...