Real bill currently in Congress c/o HR/119/2069
Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025
Latest action (2026-08-10): Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Official summary
Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 This bill expands a requirement for federal agencies to report expenditures on the USAspending.gov website to include other transaction agreement expenditures. (Other transaction agreements, or OTAs, are contractual instruments other than standard procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements; they are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations). Under current law, federal agencies must report expenditures on federal awards to USAspending.gov with the term federal award defined as federal grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and certain other types of expenditures. This bill expands the definition of federal award to include expenditures under OTAs, and therefore such expenditures must be included on the USAspending.gov website. The Department of the Treasury must ensure that data relating to OTAs are automatically transmitted to the website and a centralized view of this data is available on the website. Treasury must also annually post on the USAspending.gov website a report that includes (1) the total amount of federal spending on federal awards for which data has not been posted on the website, and (2) the reason why such spending data was not posted. For 10 years after enactment, the Office of Inspector General of specified federal agencies must periodically submit to Congress and make publicly available a report assessing the agency's spending data and use of data standards.
The Framers
“Founders’ Verdict”
Confidence 1.00
Synthesis
The bill is a constitutional exercise of Congress's power over the public fisc, grounded in the Spending Clause, the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the Appropriations Clause, to mandate transparency and accountability for all federal expenditures including other transaction agreements.
The Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 is a constitutional exercise of Congress's power over the public fisc. The Constitution expressly requires that 'a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time' (Article I, Section 9, Clause 7). This bill merely expands the definition of 'federal award' to include other transaction agreements, thereby ensuring that the mandated account of expenditures is comprehensive and accurate. Congress's authority to define the scope of this reporting is grounded in its taxing and spending power…
This bill is constitutional because it merely expands the reporting requirements for federal expenditures, which falls within the enumerated power of Congress to control the purse and ensure transparency in the use of public funds. The Constitution grants Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1). Requiring agencies to report all expenditures, including those under other transaction agreements, is a necessary and proper means to prevent secret or wasteful sp…
The proposed bill is a proper exercise of Congress's enumerated powers under the Spending Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause. By requiring federal agencies to report expenditures under Other Transaction Agreements on USAspending.gov, Congress enhances transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, which is essential to prevent factional abuse and to maintain the confidence of the people in their government. The reporting requirements are a necessary and proper means to ensure that the power of the purse is exercised with full knowledge of how appropriated funds are spent, …
This bill is a legitimate exercise of the powers vested in Congress by the Constitution. The requirement to report expenditures under other transaction agreements on USAspending.gov is a necessary and proper means to ensure that public funds are disbursed according to law and to prevent abuse. The Appropriations Clause of Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 mandates that no money be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations; this bill furthers that principle by requiring transparency for all federal awards, including OTAs. Moreover, under the reasoning of McCulloch v. Maryland (1…
What should pass
“AI Consensus Solution”
No solution yet
Daily synthesis runs at 06:00 UTC. This bill's consensus draft will appear on the next pass.