This data set took six years to create. Worth every moment.
Today, for the first time in history, the U.S. federal government's spending information is one single, unified data set. Under a deadline set by the DATA Act of 2014, today every federal agency must begin reporting spending to the Treasury Department using a common data format. And Treasury has published it all online, in one piece, offering a single electronic view of the world's largest organization. Today, we celebrate Darrell Issa, Mark Warner, Christina Ho, Tim Gribben, and all the other leaders who caught Jefferson's dream of a single, unified federal spending data set, and didn't let go.
Last week, on Feb. 2, leaders from 22 tech companies fanned out across Capitol Hill. We crossed from Senate office buildings to House, and back again. We sat down with eight members of Congress and nine groups of staffers. We walked nearly ten miles. We ended our fourteen-hour day with a well-deserved beer. To enact our wonky agenda and realize our ambitious vision, we may have to invest many more Groundhog Days. But that’s okay. With each year of the same Capitol Hill treks and similar policy chats, real change is happening.
FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HUDSON HOLLISTER: "We call on the new Trump Administration and the 115th Congress to enforce (and expand) the DATA Act, embrace a government-wide transformation of all information resources through the OPEN Government Data Act, and initiate regulatory reforms that use open data to reduce burdens, governed by the Financial Transparency Act and other reforms. I am optimistic that we will realize all three goals."
The Data Coalition and seven other financial and technology organizations today sent a letter to the Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives requesting that the committee convene a hearing on the need for regulatory agencies to modernize the way they collect information from public companies, banks, markets, and financial firms.
When disastrous flooding destroyed over 100,000 homes in Louisiana, the Data Coalition's Sarah Joy Hays rallied tens of thousands of dollars in relief. We are so proud to have Sarah Joy as our friend and colleague.
Last Thursday the Data Coalition was honored to meet with the Arkansas Open Data and Transparency Task Force, a one-of-a-kind body appointed by the state legislature to recommend an open data law. Here are the presentations we shared with the Task Force - and what we learned ourselves.
The Data Transparency Coalition is changing its name to Data Coalition. Today also marks the launch of the Data Foundation, the nation’s first industry-focused open data research organization. Through research, education, and programming, the new Foundation will illuminate the benefits of transforming government information into standardized, open data.