A few months ago, there was much talk about S2530 — which became Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding and Accountability Transparency Act of 2006. It was in the news because an anonymous Senator (later revealed to be Senator Ted Stevens of AK) at first blocked its passage (see here and here).
Well now OMBWatch has trumped the Federal govt and announced the creation of a public database called FedSpending.org. The database “allows users to search and aggregate contract and grant information in a number of ways: by individual recipient, by agency, by congressional district and by state, and allows citizens to see exactly where their tax dollars are being spent. There is data going back to FY 2000 so that comparisons over time can be made.” There’s even a nice tutorial to help users learn how to use the database.
The database is a welcome addition to citizens trying to keep track of federal govt spending and will be a great tool for libraries answering reference questions on govt budgets. Check it out!
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