Dr. Coburn urges revamp of Recovery.gov

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), issued a warning today that the goal of President Obama to bring  unprecedented transparency" may not be met without a major revamp of Recovery.gov, the information hub for the administration  recovery efforts.  

"Instead of being a one-stop shop for stimulus information, Recovery.gov does little more than redirect its visitors to other agency websites," stated Coburn in a statement prepared for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.  "Without a major revamp of the website, I am afraid that taxpayers will be confused and wasteful spending will occur in secret."

Sen. Coburn worked with then-Sen. Barack Obama to secure passage of the Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (P.L. 109-282) that resulted in the creation of USASpending.gov, a website that provides details on federal funding recipients.  In a March 8, 2009,  Wall Street Journal  article, Earl Devaney, head of the new Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board, said that approximately $84 million over the next two years would be used to develop Recovery.gov.  

"For that kind of money the administration should produce a top notch website.  Unfortunately, the product we have seen so far leaves much to be desired," Dr. Coburn said.