Earmark database bill introduced
Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma introduced a bill in the Senate that would create a centralized database for earmarks. The “Earmark Transparency Act” would require the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate to create a searchable, publicly available website that would include appropriations earmarks, as well as limited tax benefits and specific project authorizations. Coburn’s bill was cosponsored by Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
Coburn’s bill would add little to House and Senate rules that already require members to disclose their earmark requests. It would, however, make it easier to find some information that is already publicly available.