Our Take

Organizational Review of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter have instituted a review of the organization of the Office...

New Report Finds Millionaires Still Receive Farm Subsidies

Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report finding that farm subsidies are still being paid to...

It’s Been a Busy Summer!

It’s been a busy summer! So far, we’ve been instrumental in exposing corporate subsidies in the farm bill. We gained ground in our...

USEC Posts Net Loss in Second Quarter; Seeking Further Taxpayer Handouts

The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) recently released its midterm financial report and in addition to troubling financials,...

Senate Finance Subcommittee Discusses Energy Tax Reform

The Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure met Wednesday, July 31 to discuss the...

Congressional Summer Ends with a THUD

Congress is on the verge of heading home for a five-week vacation (“home work period” is the euphemism they use). In the run-up to...

It’s Time for Tax Reform Transparency

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Hatch (R-UT) should be commended for their ‘Blank Slate’ approach to...

Essential Air Service: Why Reform Isn’t Reducing Overall Cost

Early last year, the President signed the “FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012,” authorizing spending for the Federal Aviation...

Big Oil Continues to Receive Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies While Profits Soar

As midyear profit results are released this week, the oil and gas industry is asserting itself once more as one of the most lucrative and...

Credit Downgrade Likely For Pending DOE Loan Guarantee Recipient

Last Thursday, Moody’s Investor Service released a new credit report finding that Georgia Power Company’s (subsidiary of The Southern...

Important Cuts Fail & Wasteful Subsidies Hang On in House Energy & Water Bill

Late Wednesday night the House wrapped up debate on the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2014. Several...

A Lesson in What Saving Money Means to Congress: Essential Air Service

Essential Air Service (EAS) reforms passed as part of last year’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill were intended...

House Leadership Proposes Outspending Senate in Farm Bill

Fresh on the heels of losing a farm bill vote on the Floor because the rushed bill did not cut spending enough, House leadership is...

DOE Recommits To Fossil Fuel Loan Guarantees

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week it would offer an expanded, second solicitation for advanced fossil energy loan...

USEC Avoids NYSE Delisting—For Now

Shareholders of the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) have approved a reverse stock split (artificially raising the share price...

A Cigar for SIGAR – Documenting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Waste in Afghanistan

The title says it all: “[Department of Defense] Moving Forward with $771.8 Million Purchase of Aircraft that the Afghans Cannot Operate...

Medicine Bow Liquid Coal Facility on the Rocks

Medicine Bow Fuel and Power LLC—subsidiary of DKRW Advanced Fuels LLC—has filed updated construction and development plans with the state...

Baucus and Hatch Propose Blank Slate Tax Reform

Today, Senate Finance Chairman Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Hatch (R-UT) sent a letter to their colleagues proposing “blank slate”...

Truth Checking Trillion-Dollar Farm Bill Apologists

The rhetoric from defenders of Washington’s heavy-handed role in agriculture reached a peak during recent House debate on a nearly $1...

Rhetoric on Adjusted Gross Income Grossly Distorts the Facts

Many farm bill apologists attacked basic means testing as a “poison pill” for the farm bill. House Agriculture Committee leaders Frank...

Math Like Chairman Lucas’ is the Reason We Have a $17 Trillion Debt

"And if you look at how [crop insurance] has worked in the 7 years prior to the onset of the drought of 2011, basically the Federal...

Small Taxpayer Victory: Outdated Airport Subsidy Reduced

In a small victory for taxpayers, the Department of Transportation (DOT) last week issued an order terminating Essential Air Service...

Energy and Water Spending Bill Passes Subcommittee

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies voted today to pass the fiscal year 2014...

Washington Post Slams Charlottesville Bypass

Over the weekend, Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney published a piece about the ridiculous proposal to build the Charlottesville...

House Committee Passes Legislation That Could Siphon Billions in Royalty Revenue from Treasury

The House Natural Resources Committee voted 23-18 Wednesday to send the “Offshore Energy and Jobs Act” (H.R. 2231) to the House Floor....

Taxpayers for Common Sense Awarded Highest Rating from Leading Charity Evaluator

Once Again, Taxpayers for Common Sense Awarded Highest Rating – “4 Stars” – from Leading Charity Evaluator...

It’s Gonna be a Long Summer!

Yesterday was yet another low for Congress. The Senate passed a Farm Bill without any real effort to trim the bloat and waste. ...

Oversight Hearing on Federal Renewable Fuel Standard

Yesterday, the House Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing...

The Farm Bill is $1 Trillion of Business as Usual

The Farm Bill IS NOT a Deficit Reduction Bill The last two farm bills cost $400 billion more than predicted   Most of this...

Not a Check, It’s a Bill

Federally subsidized crop insurance is on pace to cost at least $27 billion – 57 percent – more than was promised in the last farm bill...

USEC’s Paducah Uranium Enrichment Facility Closing

The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) announced Friday it will shut down its Paducah gaseous diffusion plant, a Cold War-era...

Skagit River Bridge Collapse

As you have no doubt heard by now, an interstate bridge collapsed on a major travel corridor in Washington State. The bridge spans the...

Disaster Reforms for Resiliency

Over the past decade, extreme weather and storms have become increasingly commonplace – including coastal storms, wildfires, droughts,...

Fighting Deficit Reduction

The most recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s $955 billion farm bill continues to show...

2013 House and Senate Farm Bills Stack on More Subsidies

As we expected, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees went to great lengths this week to save as little money as possible in their...

Paltry Savings Proposed in 2013 House and Senate Farm Bills

Late last week, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees released new drafts of five-year farm bills that propose paltry savings--$18...

House Subcommittee Discusses BLM Budget

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and related Agencies held a hearing today to discuss the FY2014...

New Report Casts Further Doubt on Troubled FutureGen Project

A recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) questions whether or not the nearly decade long, $1.65 billion FutureGen...

First Award for Small Modular Reactor Program Announced

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) announced yesterday that a subsidiary of B&W—B&W mPower, LLC—will...

TCS Analysis of the FY14 Presidential Budget Request

Taxpayers for Common Sense staff will be combing through the budget over the next several hours and days and bringing to light various...

Essential Air Service: Illustrating Coming Changes to the Program

The Essential Air Service (EAS) is a federal subsidy program created in the 1970s as part of airline deregulation. Though the program was...

Hagel Grabs the Axe

There was never any question that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel would have to wield the budget axe—simple fiscal and political math...

It’s Budget Season…Play Ball!

Dear Taxpayer, Classic inside baseball. Above is just one nugget Taxpayers for Common Sense came across while reading page 237 of...

Second Fossil Energy Loan Guarantee Solicitation Coming Soon

A second Energy Department solicitation for advanced fossil energy loan guarantees is coming soon, according to a recent Government...

$15 Billion in Taxpayer-Backed Loan Guarantees Likely to Go Out the Door from Flawed DOE Program

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released their annual analysis of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Guarantee...

Fiscal Year 2013 Continuing Resolution/Spending bills

The current CR and spending bills theoretically mimic the FY13 appropriations bills, but we’ve started looking to see where lawmakers added and subtracted dollars....

The Beat Continues on the Charlottesville Bypass

In a great piece about the proposed Charlottesville (VA) Bypass, James Bacon from Bacon’s Rebellion lays out several significant problems...

Energy Department Announces Second Round of Small Modular Reactor Funding

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced yesterday a second funding opportunity for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Program. The new...

Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands High-Risk For Waste, Fraud

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released its bi-annual “High-Risk” report detailing federal programs and...

New Analysis: Farm Bills Save Billions Less Than Previously Expected

Last year's trillion-dollar farm bills would have saved billions less than proponents claimed....

Senate Dems’ Plan to Avoid Sequester Fails to Save

Senate Democrats' plan to avoid sequestration cuts fails to save taxpayers enough money....

Report: Foxes Guarding U.S. Nuclear Henhouse

Anyone familiar with a few fairy tales knows it’s not a good idea to let a fox guard a henhouse. But that’s just what the federal...

Charlottesville Bypass Not a Worthy Federal Investment

Recently, TCS was invited to Charlottesville, Virginia to speak with citizens and reporters about a project we have opposed since the...

Military Brass Play a Fiscal Requiem for Defense

Capitol Hill’s hearing rooms again witnessed a vale of tears this week as the Armed Services Committees of both the House and Senate...

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,...

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...

FutureGen Project Moves Forward: $1 Billion in Taxpayer Funds Still Pending

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the approval of Phase II for the $1.65 billion experimental FutureGen 2.0 Project located in...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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...

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...

Senate Finance Committee Meets to Talk Energy Tax Reform

The Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing last week on tax reform and its impacts on energy policy. Among the four witnesses from...

Dept. of Energy Offers USEC $280 Million Handout

In yet another attempt to revive the struggling United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), the Department of Energy (DOE) has offered...

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...

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...

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)...

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...

Taylorville Energy Center Pulls Plug on its Coal Project

It appears that one of the top contenders for a loan guarantee under the Department of Energy program has decided to abandon original...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

House Committee Discusses Nuclear Safety and Spending

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development met Wednesday to discuss the FY2013 Office of Nuclear Energy budget...

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...

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...

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...

Oil Profits Stay High; Needless Subsidies Continue

It appears the oil and gas industry is looking to continue its decade long trend of record profits. As of February 2nd, Chevron, Exxon...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

TCS Comments on OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense submitted comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas...

Action Alert: Senate Set to Vote on Ethanol Amendment [Completed Action]

UPDATE: In 2011, Taxpayers for Common Sense celebrated a major policy win. Congress let the wasteful ethanol tax credit (VEETC) expire...

Solyndra Probe Continues

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

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...

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...

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...

Another Report Points to Taxpayers Losing Billions On Risky DOE Loan Guarantees

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a report on federal loan guarantees for nuclear power plants, which seriously...

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...

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...

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)....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

TCS Reaction to Sen. Manchin (D-WV) Statement on Coal Subsidies

We all know that lawmakers are allowed the occasional stretching of the truth, but at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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,...

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....

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...

Taxpayer Victory—Senate Strips Energy Loan Guarantees from Emergency Spending Bill

Late yesterday the Senate rejected the House passed Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which included $18 billion in new loan...

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...

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...

Another Loan Guarantee Putting Taxpayer Dollars at Risk

On Wednesday, AREVA, a French nuclear power conglomerate, accepted a Department of Energy conditional loan guarantee of $2 billion for...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

Energy Department Wants $9 Billion More in Taxpayer-Backed Nuclear Loan Guarantees

Yesterday at a Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Energy Secretary Chu said an additional $9 BILLION in...

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...

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Discusses Funding for Different Energy Sectors

On March 17th, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development donned green ties for St. Patrick’s Day and met to...

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...

Secretary Salazar Reiterates ‘Taxpayers Must Receive Fair Return’ for Our Natural Resources

In early March, the Senate Energy Natural Resources (ENR) Committee met to hear testimony from Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary...

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...

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...

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...

Senate Energy Panel Discusses President’s Proposed Budget Cuts, Increases

On February 4th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee held a hearing on the President’s FY2011 Department of Energy...

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...

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...

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...

FY2011 Budget Request: Department of Energy Request

The Presidents fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) budget request includes a $28.4 billion discretionary budget for the Department of Energy (DOE)....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

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 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...

House Committee on Science and Technology Hearing on Advancing Technology for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

Last month, the House Committee on Science and Technology held a hearing on nuclear fuel reprocessing. The hearing covered a range of...

DOE Halts Plan for Commercial Reprocessing: Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Shelved

The Obama Administration has put the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) on hold until further notice. GNEP, an international...

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...

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...

Another Huge Year for Oil and Gas Industry Profits

Exxon Mobil likes breaking records. In 2007, it posted the biggest annual profit number reported by any American company ever — $40.6...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

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...

The President’s Energy Budget

The President’s budget released last week includes $ 26.3 billion for the Department of Energy, a $2.1 billion increase over 2008 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...

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...

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...

Final Stimulus Bill Posted

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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,”...

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...

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...

Oil and Gas Companies Continue Receiving Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies while Reaping Record Profits

As was the case for much of the last decade, profits for major oil and gas companies continue to skyrocket.  Exxon brought in over $14...

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 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...

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...

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,...

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...

Oversight Provisions in Bailout Bill

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

Coal-to-Liquid Earmarks DOD Appropriations

Today the House passed a Continuing Resolution and a minibus that included the final FY09 Defense spending bill, which had 6 earmarks for...

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...

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...

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...

Sex, Drugs, 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

House Amps Up Energy Loan Guarantees

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program to grant loan guarantees for innovative...

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...

Energy Campaign Overview

TCS fights to keep unnecessary subsidies, loopholes and tax breaks out of America's energy policy For more than a decade, TCS has led...

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....

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...

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...

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...

President Supports Controversial Loan Guarantee Program

The administration’s 2009 budget for the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program requests $38.5 billion in loan guarantee...

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...

Examples of Federal Government Loan Guarantee Failures

Increasing reliance has been placed on federal government-backed private loan guarantees as a vehicle to fund private business...

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...

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...

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....

“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...

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...

Wyden-Sununu Endorsements

Title IV, Subtitle B of S. 14 provides federal loan guarantees to build six new nuclear power plants at an estimated cost of $14 to $16...

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...

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters...