Now More Than Ever, The Truth Needs A Watchdog
Now More Than Ever, The Truth Needs A Watchdog
Help us keep government accountable and transparent for all taxpayers.
Thirty years ago, a few people armed with clipboards, determination, and an unreasonable number of highlighters decided that taxpayers deserved a voice in Washington. And not just any voice but an independent one that would read the fine print, follow the money, and ask the questions no one else wanted to ask. That was the beginning of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
This fall, we celebrated that milestone and the work ahead.
In recognition of their hard work advocating for Taxpayers, we inducted former TCS President, Ryan Alexander, into the Taxpayers Hall of Fame and we awarded former TCS employee, Keith Ashdown, with the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington award.
2025 was a year of late-night votes, budget standoffs, energy policy whiplash, storms that hit early, and the longest government shutdown on record.
Through it all, our job didn’t change. Shine a light. Keep the facts straight. Push for transparency. And remind Congress that public dollars aren’t monopoly money. They come from real work, earned by people living real lives.
We called out waste in both old programs and brand-new ones, built coalitions across the political spectrum, and helped journalists, lawmakers, and the public understand what was at stake. And we did it during a year when the pull to steer policy toward well-placed interests was visible in nearly every major debate.
But anniversaries aren’t just for looking back. They’re a chance to look ahead—and 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most consequential years in our history.
One of our biggest fights will be against the quiet maneuvers that blur the true consequences of federal decisions.
When numbers are polished to fit a narrative, the public loses its clearest view of what Washington is doing. We’ll keep pressing for honest scorekeeping and open decision making.
Oversight of emergency spending will matter more than ever.
Disasters are hitting harder and faster, while the system meant to help hasn’t kept pace. In 2026, we’ll work to strengthen and modernize FEMA so its decisions are guided by clear priorities and measurable results that better protect communities.
With a renewed push for expanded energy and mineral development, the risks to taxpayers are real.
In 2026, we’ll show how the choices of a few powerful interests devalue resources that belong to all Americans and create long-term costs that no one should be stuck with.
Farm bill promises will demand close attention.
With disaster payments and tariff-related bailouts layered on top of already expensive programs, we’ll push for a system grounded in fairness instead of influence.
The fight over impoundments and pocket rescissions is no longer a technical budget dispute.
It’s about whether an administration can rewrite Congress’s decisions to suit its own priorities. That concentration of power threatens the basic checks and balances taxpayers rely on. We’ll continue sounding that alarm because accountability disappears when the rules bend for a select few.
Pentagon spending remains sky-high.
When oversight weakens, contractors benefit while readiness suffers. In 2026, we’ll push for strong oversight, real transparency, and strategic decision making so defense dollars serve the national interest rather than industry priorities.
And we’ll keep standing up for the independent watchdogs who make honest budgeting possible.
The Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, the Joint Committee on Taxation, and Inspectors General all faced pressure this year—attempted firings, budget cuts, and efforts to weaken the oversight councils that coordinate investigations. We won’t let their role be chipped away quietly.