GILLIBRAND VISITS LOCAL 828 WORKSITE TO URGE CONGRESS TO PASS TRANSPARENCY BILL

Key Senate Committee Passed Gillibrand’s Earmark Transparency Bill with Bipartisan Vote in July

Rochester, N.Y.--  Tired of business as usual in Washington D.C., U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand appeared today at the Rochester Public Library, the workplace and home away from home to many workers of CSEA Local 828.  She announced a new effort to make Congress more transparent and accountable.  "It is fitting were in front of a public library today," said Senator Gillibrand.  She added, "Libraries are the place where knowledge, understanding and transparency takes place. "  

Gillibrand is urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bring her legislation that makes the federal earmark process fully transparent up for a vote on the Senate floor. With the support of Common Cause and the Sunlight Foundation, Senator Gillibrand made her official pitch in a letter to the Senate Majority Leader to pass her bill that is co-sponsored by 17 Republican and 10 Democratic Senators.

On a bipartisan vote of 11-5, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last month passed the legislation that Senator Gillibrand wrote with Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) to require all lawmakers to post their earmark requests online.

“I haven’t been in Washington long, but it doesn’t take long to know exactly what’s wrong with it,” Senator Gillibrand said at the press conference on the library steps of Central Library's Rundel Building. “Everyday people are not being heard because too much business is happening behind closed doors. Too often the system only benefits the special interests that have way too much power. My agenda puts the interests of families before all else by making government more transparent and accountable."

She added, "My reform agenda ends automatic pay raises for members of Congress, reins in special interest influence on our elections, forbids Senators from anonymously obstructing legislation, and makes the federal funding request process fully transparent so citizens can judge for themselves how politicians are spending their money.”

In addition to calling for a vote on her earmark transparency legislation, Senator Gillibrand renewed her call to move forward on her full agenda to make Congress more accountable.  CSEA has enthusiatically endorsed Senator Gillibrand in the 2010 election cycle.

(photo above:  Ove Overmyer, CSEA Local 828 VP and President of the City of Rochester Library Workers Unit 7420 visits with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  Photo by Bess Watts)