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Tuesday, March 13, 2007
OMB Earmark Site Fails to Meet its Own Standards
We were quick to praise OMB for setting guidelines and a deadline -- per a January 25 memo from Director Rob Portman -- for a website to provide details on all earmarks funded in 2005. The deadline was yesterday. The website was launched on time. But it contains no references to specific earmarks, only aggregate agency and account funding data.
Today, Portman issued a press release "on Initial Phase of Earmark Database." The statement accurately claims that the site "provides more accurate information on earmarks in one place than has ever been available through the Federal Government," but it is unaccountably silent as to when the site will comply with OMB's January 25 website standards.
When asked about this, OMB Press Secretary Sean Kevelighan said, "in the coming weeks." Will the website provide information about Congressional earmarks' sponsors, as the House and Senate promise? "No." Will it honor the January 25 commitments on an earmark-by-earmark basis? "Yes, based on information that exists."
Posted by Dana Chasin
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