House Approves Lankford’s Cost Transparency Bill
U.S. House approves Rep. James Lankford’s bill to require more public information about federal program costs
By Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House approved a bill by Rep. James Lankford on Tuesday that would require federal agencies to post detailed information on the Internet about the programs they administer.
The bipartisan legislation sailed through on a voice vote and now goes to the Senate.
Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, said the bill would lead to a centralized reference for the public — and Congress — to measure the true costs of programs and how many people are being served. Moreover, he said, people could track whether lawmakers were addressing areas of duplication identified by congressional auditors or the agencies.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., praised the bill, saying it would give lawmakers information unavailable now on the number of full-time employees working for the federal government under a contract or grant.
The bill builds on work by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, to identify duplicative programs across the federal government and to post details about government spending on the Internet.