Senators Want to Create Public Earmark Database

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and a bipartisan group of Senators will propose legislation Tuesday to create a new, centralized earmark database to provide the public with more consistent and accessible information on earmark requests.

The bill -- 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 all "congressionally directed spending items" including appropriations earmarks, limited tax benefits and specific project authorizations. The bill would also establish uniform reporting requirements for each item, including the name of the beneficiary, the amount requested and the amount approved in a final bill, and whether the request was funded in prior years.

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