Senator Blunt Reintroduces Measures To Promote Government Transparency In 114th Congress

Press Release

As part of his ongoing efforts to fight for more government transparency and accountability, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) this week reintroduced both the Taxpayer Transparency Act and the Citizen Empowerment Act, two bills that he originally introduced in the 113th Congress.

"Hardworking taxpayers in Missouri and nationwide deserve more transparency and less over-reach from their government -- especially when it comes to how Washington spends their tax dollars," Blunt said. "I'm pleased to reintroduce these important bills in the 114th Congress, and I'll keep fighting to restore citizens' trust in Washington and make Washington more transparent and accountable to the people we work for."

The Taxpayer Transparency Act would require federal agencies to transparently disclose when taxpayer dollars are used to pay for government advertising. Specifically, the bill would require a disclaimer stating that government ads are "paid for by taxpayers" on printed advertising materials, including newspapers, billboards, and flyers, as well as radio, television, and internet communications. Blunt originally introduced the bill in January 2014 after it was reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) planned to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on an advertising campaign to promote the president's health care law. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.) is also a co-sponsor of the bill in the 114th Congress. U.S. Representative Billy Long (Mo.) introduced a companion version of the bill in the House on January 13, 2015.

The Citizen Empowerment Act would restore Americans' trust in government by expanding provisions included in current law that allow individuals to record conversations with executive agency employees. Under the bill, executive agency employees are required to provide individuals with a verbal or written notice of the individual's right to record the conversation before or at the time of their initial interaction. Blunt originally introduced the bill in July 2013 after it was revealed that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials admitted to targeting conservative organizations and other Americans. Co-sponsors of the bill in the 114th Congress include U.S. Senators John Cornyn (Texas), Deb Fischer (Neb.), and Pat Roberts (Kan.).

Source