In line with his continuing involvement in the fight for more transparency and accountability in the U.S. government, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) reintroduced the Taxpayer Transparency Act and the Citizen Empowerment Act on Thursday.
Blunt originally introduced both legislative items during the previous Congress.
“Hardworking taxpayers in Missouri and nationwide deserve more transparency and less over-reach from their government,” Blunt said. “Especially when it comes to how Washington spends their tax dollars. I’m pleased to reintroduce these important bills in the 114th Congress, and I’ll keep fighting to restore citizens’ trust in Washington and make Washington more transparent and accountable to the people we work for.”
The Taxpayer Transparency Act mandates that federal agencies must clearly disclose when any tax funds are used to purchase government advertising. Specifically, the bill requires that a disclaimer be included on the advertising media that clearly states the ad is “paid for by taxpayers.”
The Citizen Empowerment Act is designed to rebuild the trust Americans have in government by permitting citizens to record any conversations they have with employees of executive agencies.
Blunt has authored or co-sponsored nearly a dozen bills related to government transparency and accountability over the past year, including the ENFORCE the Law Act, the REINS Act, the Regulatory Improvement Act, the Regulatory Responsibility for Our Economy Act, the Government Employee Accountability Act, the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS, and the Taxpayer Right To Know Act.