Reposted from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government

Yesterday VCOG had the pleasure of hosting Sen. Mark Warner (D) for a discussion about open government. Warner, speaking to VCOG’s board and guests at the Library of Virginia, reviewed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA), which he co-sponsored with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Rep. Elijjah Cummings (D-Maryland) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California). DATA seeks to standardize federal financial reporting and will put all federal spending and government contracts online in a searchable and downloadable format.

As it stands, there are hundreds of different reporting standards across the federal government. Not everyone calls the same thing an expenditure, for instance. Or, as Warner said Issa described it: it’s as though everyone in Major League Baseball had a different definition of what constituted a hit, an error or a strike. Warner and Issa wanted to figure out language that would allow citizens to follow the money from the moment it comes in to federal coffers.

The administration, including the Office of Management and Budget, was opposed to the measure, saying it part that it would place a burden on agencies. Yesterday, Warner countered that such legislation is supposed to help employees, who are being asked to do more with less.

He acknowledged that a front-end investment in technology will be required to get DATA working and was open to the possibility of private sector support. He cautioned, however, that private involvement isn’t a magic bullet.

“I’ve been in the private sector. We waste just as much money as the federal government,” he said. “The people who say the private sector is the answer are the ones who’ve been in the public sector for 30 years.”

He urged those in the room to stay vigilant about DATA’s implementation to ensure that deadlines and marks are met.

Warner also fielded questions on the federal shield law, which would give some measure of protection to journalists who are ordered to testify about their confidential sources. The bill has made it out of its Senate committee but has not progressed further, a fact Warner pointed to in responding that he had not had a chance to learn about how the bill has developed and how it has dealt with the thorny issue of defining who would be allowed to use the privilege. He did say, however, that should the bill come to the Senate floor, he would vote in favor of a full debate.