John McCain

“ We need to be thinking about the future of America and the future generations who are going to be paying the tab for our continued spending. It is simply not fiscally responsible for us to continue with wasteful and unnecessary spending, while passing along good deals to the special interests and their lobbyists. We have had ample opportunities to tighten our belts in this town in recent years, and we have taken a pass each and every time. We can't put off the inevitable any longer. The American people have the right to know how and where their tax dollars are being spent. ”

“ In my view, the reason for such broad support is simple; people are beginning to realize that the only way to control spending and ensure accountability is to let the American people see exactly how their money is being spent. ”

“ With an accessible database of grants and contracts, the public may see spending it despises, and it may see spending that it approves of, down to the last penny. The only reason to oppose compiling the information for public use is if the government has something to hide."
I am hopeful that a searchable database of federal spending will help reduce the ever-increasing number of earmarks in the annual appropriations bills. The growth in earmarked funding during the past 12 years has been staggering. ”