Congressional Hearings and the Culture of Spending

Publication Date: September 2002

Publisher: Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Kenneth R. Weinstein

Research Area: Economics

Keywords: Government reform

Type: Report

Abstract:

Despite efforts by the 104th Congress to control spending and reform congressional procedures, this study demonstrates that the committee hearing process is still dominated by organizations and individuals that depend on federal funding, and thus have a direct interest in asking Congress for more money for the programs from which they receive grants. One of every three ostensibly “public” witnesses is a government grant recipient. As part of its oversight duty, Congress needs to hear from federal grantees, but 3,000 times each year may be too often. Congress needs to pay increased attention to the voice of the taxpayer, who often is not given the opportunity to counteract the claims and requests of federally funded groups. The truth in testimony proposal would do a great deal to ensure that hearings serve as an opportunity for Congress to gather objective information and not as a press conference on behalf of executive branch agencies, grant recipients, and professional lobbyists. Such a rule would allow Members of Congress to understand the background of witnesses’ testimony. As part of the rules package for the 105th Congress, Congress therefore should adopt a Truth in Testimony rule.