Senator Lankford Bills Make Taxpayers Advocacy Group’s “No-Brainers” Top Ten List

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Taxpayers Union today released their top ten “no-brainers” list of legislation and included two of Senator James Lankford’s (R-OK) bills – the Taxpayers Right to Know Act and the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act. This annual National Taxpayers Union list of legislation presents commonsense bills, from both houses of Congress, with bipartisan backing that should pass with ease and could result in big wins for taxpayers. Both Lankford bills aim to create a more efficient government by bringing more transparency and accountability to federal spending. 

The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is an advocacy organization that fights for responsible tax policy and spending reductions throughout the federal government.

From NTU’s 6th Annual “No-Brainers” List:

3. Taxpayers Right to Know Act (S. 282/H.R. 598): For the second Congress in a row, this key transparency measure passed the House with unanimous support, but hasn’t gained the time it needs on the Senate floor to move forward. The Taxpayers Right to Know Act would create a long-overdue online database under the purview of the Office of Management and Budget to track financial data and performance metrics for all federal programs funded over $1 million, providing a more comprehensive picture of how tax dollars are spent.

9. Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act (S. 3050/H.R. 5063): This legislation would prevent the Department of Justice from entering into so-called “sue and settle” agreements whereby as a result of civil action on behalf of the U.S., defendants are forced to make a “donation” to third parties not necessarily directly harmed or victimized by actions of the defendant. The practice has resulted in nearly one billion dollars going to activist groups and other nonprofits outside Congress’ oversight authority. La Raza, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and even the U.S. Coast Guard Alumni Association have all been beneficiaries of this dubious practice. Congress should take steps immediately to halt this appropriations end-run and prevent the misuse of DOJ resources to promote an ideological agenda. 

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