A resolution introduced on July 9 by U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) aims to provide Americans with more information about how the federal government is spending their tax dollars.
“I have consistently voted to bring our federal spending back under control, and I hope this legislation will give the American people another tool to better understand where their money is going in an effort to help change the current fiscal course of the nation,” Rep. Emmer said. “Whether they want to or not, Americans are routinely forced to open their budgets and take a hard look at the numbers before they can begin to budget more effectively. Shouldn’t the same principle apply to how we approach our national spending now that we are nearly $30 trillion in debt?”
The congressman sponsored House Resolution (H.Res.) 523 to create a publicly accessible database that Americans could use to download, search and sort spending allocations for each government department, agency and program for both the current fiscal year and the previous 10 years, according to a summary provided by Rep. Emmer’s office.
“One of the main reasons I ran for Congress is to provide a better future for my children and grandchildren. Yet, each day I watch their financial obligations to this country grow larger and larger,” said the lawmaker. “Right now, every American is on the hook for roughly $85,500 of the national debt, and unless we pay attention, our government will continue to adjust spending levels in only one direction — up.”
The nation cannot continue to add new spending without providing a way to pay for it, nor continue to place the weight of its fiscal irresponsibility on the shoulders of future generations, added Rep. Emmer.
“Our children and grandchildren deserve a life better than the one we had,” he said. “Greater government transparency is the least we can offer them as we work to get our federal spending under control.”
The legislation has been referred to the U.S. House Rules Committee for consideration.