Quigley Statement on New House Transparency Web Site

WASHINGTON Congressman Mike Quigley (D) issued the following statement today regarding a new Web site that will allow the public to view the official expenditure reports of all Members of Congress. These Statements of Disbursements (SOD) were previously only available in hard copy.

"I believe the best form of government is an open and honest government, and taxpayers deserve to know not just how their hard-earned dollars are being spent, but that they are being spent wisely and efficiently," said Congressman Quigley. "As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously stated, "sunlight is said to the best of disinfectants." While this information has been available to the public before, the new online resource is a significant improvement and step in the right direction, and I'm glad to see the House moving toward greater transparency and disclosure to the public."

Since 1964, Congress has been required by law to publish the SOD, which is a quarterly public report of all receipts and expenditures for Members of Congress, Committees, Leadership, House Officers and Offices of the House of Representatives. Previously, the 3,000 page volumes were only available in hard-copy. The Chief Administrative Officer of the House publishes the SOD within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter.

The new electronic version of the Statement of Disbursements (SOD) for the third quarter of 2009, has been posted online here as of November 30, 2009. Each subsequent SOD will also be published there quarterly.

Helpful resources including a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section and Glossary of Terms accompany the SOD on the new Web page.

As a Cook County Commissioner, Quigley led the fight to increase transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility across the county. During his first six months in Congress, Quigley has continued his unwavering commitment to reform, by publicizing his appropriation requests online and introducing legislation to prohibit these earmark requests for for-profit entities (H.Res. 614). He has also introduced H.R. 3427, the State Ethics Law Protection Act, a bill to strengthen states' laws to prohibit the practice of pay-to-play.