Floor SpeechBipartisan2026-08-07

STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025

Foreign Policy

Context

On 2026-08-07, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) delivered a floor speech titled "STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025" in the Senate.

Full Text

STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4547] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025 Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, taxpayers deserve to know how the money they send to Washington is being spent. For 20 years now, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act has required unclassified government spending to be put online in a searchable public website, USAspending.gov. This allows taxpayers to review the receipts for themselves. Bureaucrats, however, have been hiding tens of billions of dollars distributed through secret spending arrangements known as other transaction agreements, or OTAs, by not publicly disclosing these expenditures on USAspending.gov. With fraudsters stealing $1.4 billion every single day, we need this information now so we can account for who is taking tax dollars and why. In June, the Senate unanimously passed my bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act to require OTAs to be publicly disclosed on USAspending.gov, just like all other government spending. Last month, the House approved the bipartisan companion bill introduced by Representatives Moore and Panetta. Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate agree that Washington needs to finally end the secrecy about how tens of billions of dollars are being spent every year. That is a win for everyone, especially our taxpayers. Let's send this bill to the President today so it becomes law. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2069, which was received from the House. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 2069) to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Ms. ERNST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (H.R. 2069) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR2069, HR2069

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STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4547] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025 Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, taxpayers deserve to know how the money they send to Washington is being spent. For 20 years now, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act has required unclassified government spending to be put online in a searchable public website, USAspending.gov. This allows taxpayers to review the receipts for themselves. Bureaucrats, however, have been hiding tens of billions of dollars distributed through secret spending arrangements known as other transaction agreements, or OTAs, by not publicly disclosing these expenditures on USAspending.gov. With fraudsters stealing $1.4 billion every single day, we need this information now so we can account for who is taking tax dollars and why. In June, the Senate unanimously passed my bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act to require OTAs to be publicly disclosed on USAspending.gov, just like all other government spending. Last month, the House approved the bipartisan companion bill introduced by Representatives Moore and Panetta. Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate agree that Washington needs to finally end the secrecy about how tens of billions of dollars are being spent every year. That is a win for everyone, especially our taxpayers. Let's send this bill to the President today so it becomes law. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2069, which was received from the House. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 2069) to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Ms. ERNST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (H.R. 2069) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon. ____________________ Referenced legislation: HR2069, HR2069