[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    STOP SECRET SPENDING ACT OF 2025

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, taxpayers deserve to know how the money 
they send to Washington is being spent. For 20 years now, the Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act has required unclassified 
government spending to be put online in a searchable public website, 
USAspending.gov. This allows taxpayers to review the receipts for 
themselves. Bureaucrats, however, have been hiding tens of billions of 
dollars distributed through secret spending arrangements known as other 
transaction agreements, or OTAs, by not publicly disclosing these 
expenditures on USAspending.gov.
  With fraudsters stealing $1.4 billion every single day, we need this 
information now so we can account for who is taking tax dollars and 
why.
  In June, the Senate unanimously passed my bipartisan Stop Secret 
Spending Act to require OTAs to be publicly disclosed on 
USAspending.gov, just like all other government spending. Last month, 
the House approved the bipartisan companion bill introduced by 
Representatives Moore and Panetta. Democrats and Republicans in both 
the House and Senate agree that Washington needs to finally end the 
secrecy about how tens of billions of dollars are being spent every 
year. That is a win for everyone, especially our taxpayers.
  Let's send this bill to the President today so it becomes law.
  Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent 
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2069, 
which was received from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2069) to amend the Federal Funding 
     Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that 
     other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, 
     and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. ERNST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a 
third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 2069) was ordered to a third reading, was read the 
third time, and passed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

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