Politics

Congressional Office Expenditures Now Online

By Karina

As part of Speaker Pelosi?s ongoing efforts to increase transparency and accountability in the House of Representatives, the Speaker directed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) earlier this year to make the Statement of Disbursements (SOD) - which documents all expenditures Congressional, Committee, Leadership, and administrative offices make - available online. The SOD has been published quarterly since 1964 in its current form but not accessible online. Today, the CAO made the first electronic posting of the SOD and covers the third quarter of 2009.

Speaker Pelosi on the posting:

In June, as part of our ongoing reforms to increase transparency in the operations of the House, I directed the Chief Administrative Officer of the House to begin posting the quarterly expenses of Members, Committee and administrative offices online. The Statement of Disbursement provides a full accounting of Members? and officers? spending for official Congressional business. The continued publication of these statements online will expand accountability to taxpayers and the press.

The New Direction Congress has passed unprecedented disclosure and lobbying reform laws, created an independent ethics office, and will continue to operate in a transparent and accountable manner.

Statement of Disbursements is now available at http://disbursements.house.gov:

Overview and Contents»
Download all three volumes in a single file»

Download Part 1»
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SOD At a Glance»
Glossary»
Frequently Asked Questions»
Transaction Codes»

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 30, 2009 (boomark / email).