Tonight I’m proud to report that the Senate unanimously passed S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.
The passage of this legislation is a triumph for transparency in government, for fiscal discipline, and for the bipartisan citizen journalism of the blogosphere.
Without the efforts of ordinary Americans empowered by the Internet, including many hardworking members of the iFrist Volunteers, this legislation might easily have been successfully obstructed. Instead, the unprecedented synergy between online grassroots activists and Senate leadership provides a new model for participatory democracy in action.
I look forward to reconciling S. 2590 with its counterpart in the House and delivering this deserving legislation to the desk of President Bush for his signature.
Would you looky there? He made something happen!
I was telling a reporter today that I thought if the Senate could manage to get this passed it might go a small way toward jacking the conservative base from its malaise. As a fiscal conservative, I'm glad it's passed, though the amount of trouble we had to go through to get it out of the clutches of secret-holders might cancel out the good will gained by passing it. Then you've gotta fight the immigration anger, which is a doozy, but hey, baby steps. What can I say? I'm an optimist.
But, regardless of electoral gains or losses, this is a solid bill. It's good for government, good for citizens, and great for bloggers (and that's the real point, right?). I don't mind saying my cold little fiscally conservative heart is swelling a little bit right now.
H/t Ace.
Update: Rob Bluey says Frist has made blogger hay outta this one.
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