| Whether you agree with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand or not, one thing we all can agree on is that she is arguably the most open and transparent member of the U.S. Senate that we have and has been one of the more transparent members of Congress ever since she started serving in the House of Representatives in 2007.
To follow up on that promise of openness and transparency, Sen. Gillibrand released her first Sunlight Report, which provides her official Senate schedule, as well as her personal financial disclosure and a complete list of earmarks that she requested for the current fiscal year.
You can see Sen. Gillibrand's Sunlight Report here.
In her statement on the unveiling of her Sunlight Report, Gillibrand said that her constituents deserve openness and transparency and have a right to know what she is doing as their senator.
"The public deserves a government that is open, honest, and transparent," Senator Gillibrand said. "That's what this Web site is about. New Yorkers can log on and see what I'm working on, keep track of the progress we're making to improve their lives, and send me ideas along the way."
Senator Gillibrand is a long time advocate for more public disclosure. She strongly supports President Obama's plans to reform the earmark process and plans to lead by example, letting New Yorkers know who she is meeting with and what she is working on in the U.S. Senate.
The Sunlight Report is viewable at Senator Gillibrand's new official web site. The site will provide New Yorkers with information on the Senator's agenda and how to contact her offices. As Senator Gillibrand continues to travel the state, the web site will include more information on what she is hearing about in communities across New York.
From job creation and affordable health care to promoting fair opportunity for every New Yorker, Senator Gillibrand's web site highlights her record on issues affecting New Yorkers and her action to move New York forward.
"I believe in open and honest government, transparency and accountability not just because it's what New York deserves, but because it produces the best policies and government. In these challenging economic times, we need this now more than ever," Senator Gillibrand added.
I don't know why every member of Congress isn't doing this, but they should. Sen. Gillibrand is leading by example when it comes to being open and honest about her official Senate schedule, her personal financial disclosures and what earmarks her constituents get.
As I said in the opening, you may agree with her or disagree with her, but one thing you should like about Sen. Gillibrand is that she doesn't do things behind closed doors and she doesn't operate in the shadows.
Remember, it was Gillibrand who posted on her campaign website the disclosure forms she submitted to Governor David Paterson when she was in the running for the Senate appointment. She proved then that transparency was a must for her and she is proving that again with today's announcement. |
