Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, reacts to a tentative deal for port workers and Tim Walz saying he’s a ‘knucklehead’ over his previous Tiananmen Square claims. (Courtesy: CBS News)
The Treasury would be required to track every expenditure of the federal government under the newest congressional effort toward government efficiency.
The LEDGER Act, nicknamed “America’s Checkbook,” is based off two successful efforts in Ohio and Florida where efforts to publicize individual government expenditures have been successful.
Reps. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, and Michael Haridopolos, R-Fla., seek to require Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to implement a system to “track all outlays from each appropriation, receipt, or other fund account in the Treasury by each department, agency, office, or other establishment in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch… including disbursements [of government vouchers].”
A source familiar with the pending legislation told Fox News Digital that it will essentially be “America’s checkbook” – playing off Ohio’s successful “Ohio Checkbook” that Rulli promoted during his time in Columbus – and would account for purchases from “pencils on up.”
REPUBLICAN SENATORS ROLL OUT DOGE BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’
A person holds a stack of bills. (iStock / iStock)
“I’m proud to co-sponsor the LEDGER Act because the American people are fed up,” Rulli told Fox News Digital.
“They work hard, they pay their taxes—and in return, Washington blows trillions without a single receipt. When I served in the Ohio Senate, we used the Ohio Checkbook—created by our former treasurer, Josh Mandel—to track every dollar down to the penny.”
“Full accountability and transparency to the taxpayer, that’s how government should work.”
Rulli pointed to a report from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), then led by Elon Musk, which said $4.7 trillion in Treasury disbursements lacked a simple Treasury Account Symbol, or “TAS” coding, that would have denoted their purpose(s).
“That’s not just outrageous—it’s an insult. It’s theft by negligence,” he said.
RADICAL NEW DOGE TRANSPARENCY POWERS COULD HIT CONGRESS AFTER ELON MUSK EXIT
Rep. Michael Haridopolos, R-FL (IMAGN)
“It’s about time America has its own checkbook, fully available for the taxpayers to monitor.”
During his time in the Ohio State Senate, Rulli spearheaded the Ohio Gains Initiative, which sought to modernize state investment strategies to aid agriculture, education and health care sectors, to build on the Ohio Checkbook’s utility—which remains online today for people to view individual expenditures.
Haridopolos said the federal effort is also inspired by the Sunshine State’s FACTS program, which shines light on state contracts and expenditures–and that it aligns with efforts to enforce TAS usage.
As the former president of the Florida State Senate when FACTS was set in motion, Haridopolos said the LEDGER Act similarly ensures “every federal payment is documented.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. is “very close” to a trade deal with India and other major Asian partners.
“The discovery that bureaucrats spent trillions of taxpayer dollars without basic tracking measures showed that Washington’s spending problem is also an accountability,” he said.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., who won the panhandle seat formerly held by Matt Gaetz, was Florida’s CFO at the time as well – and oversaw FACTS’ implementation.
“FACTS served as an effective tool for ensuring that our state remained accountable and transparent to Florida taxpayers. Likewise, the LEDGER Act will instill greater accountability and transparency of American tax dollars and complement President Trump’s mission to reduce fraud, waste and abuse,” Patronis said.
Forty-five other Republicans have come together to support the bill, including Reps. Byron Donalds, Greg Steube and Randy Fine of Florida, Jeff Crank of Colorado, Nick Begich of Alaska, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the Northern Marianas Islands.
