March 28, 2011

Open Letter: Congress Must Protect Transparency Programs in Budget Negotiations

Dear Speaker Boehner, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and Minority Leader McConnell:

We, the undersigned, are writing to express our concerns over proposed budget reductions that
would effectively eliminate important government transparency programs. The budget for Data.gov,
USASpending.gov, the IT Dashboard, and other data transparency and government accountability
programs funded through the Electronic Government Fund would be slashed from $34 million to $2
million if the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act passed by the House or considered by the Senate
became law.

In recent years Congress and the Executive Branch have taken serious steps toward increasing
government transparency. We applaud those efforts. Justice Brandeis said “Sunlight is said to be the
best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman,” but these proposed cuts would put the
American people back in the dark.

These e-government initiatives help the government operate more effectively and efficiently,
thereby saving taxpayer money and aiding oversight. They increase economic opportunities for small
business. They also increase citizen knowledge of and involvement in the democratic process. Fully
realized transparency would allow us to track every expense and truly understand how money – like
that in the electronic government fund – flows to federal programs. Government spending and
performance data must be available online, in real time, and in machine-readable formats.

An open and accountable government is a prerequisite for democracy. Keeping these programs
alive would cost a mere pittance when compared to the value of bringing the federal government into
the sunlight. As you consider the budget for the remainder of this year, please sustain funding for these
vital transparency programs.
Sincerely yours,

The Sunlight Foundation

cc:
Hal Rogers, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations
Norm Dicks, Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations
Jo Ann Emerson, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on
Financial Services and General Government
José Serrano, Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on
Financial Services and General Government
Daniel Inouye, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
Thad Cochran, Vice Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
Dick Durbin, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial
Services and General Government
Jerry Moran, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on
Financial Services and General Government
Jacob Lew, Director, Office of Management and Budget