Alan Grayson AWOL On Stimulus Oversight Hearing

Alan Grayson AWOL On Stimulus Oversight Hearing
Despite Campaigning as a “Watchdog” Trial Attorney, Grayson Skips Critical Hearing on Progress of Taxpayer Dollars

Washington – It seems Alan Grayson can’t live up to his harsh rhetoric from the campaign trail last year. While he claimed he could clean up Washington, he was notably absent from the most recent subcommittee hearing to track the billions of dollars in stimulus funds that were approved by Congressional Democrats. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1YbPIFnQ1c)

“All the talk of supposed oversight during Alan Grayson’s campaign was obviously hot air,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Instead of handing over a trillion-dollar blank check to Nancy Pelosi, Alan Grayson should be ensuring that every single taxpayer dollar is being spent wisely and not on pork-barrel projects. If Alan Grayson isn’t interested in holding the federal bureaucracy accountable then who is going to hold him accountable?”

Background:
The hearings, entitled “Follow the Money,” allow members of the subcommittee to question the officials in charge with distributing the stimulus funds to the various states. At the subcommittee’s second hearing, “Follow the Money II,” only 30% of the subcommittee’s members showed up, with Grayson being unaccounted for:

“Just three of the 10 members bothered to show up for the subcommittee’s second meeting, dramatically titled ‘Follow the Money Part II.’…

“While Mr. Miller and the panel’s top Republican were there, only Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Pennsylvania Democrats, came to the hearing. Absent were Democratic Reps. Steven R. Rothman of New Jersey, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Charles A. Wilson of Ohio, Alan Grayson of Florida and Bart Gordon of Tennessee.” (“Stimulus oversight left up to taxpayers,” Washington Times, 05/06/2009)
To make matters worse, it was reported today that the details of the stimulus funds may not be released entirely until spring 2010:

“Although President Obama has vowed that citizens will be able to track ‘every dime’ of the $787 billion stimulus bill, a government website dedicated to the spending won’t have details on contracts and grants until October and may not be complete until next spring — halfway through the program, administration officials said.” (“Details thin on stimulus contracts,”  USA Today, 05/06/2009)
This is particularly embarrassing to Grayson after DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen touted Grayson’s ability to provide oversight and transparency for the American people:

“‘People are willing to make public investments if they know their money is being well spent. That’s where Alan Grayson comes in. He understands it’s important to invest in the public good. But he doesn’t want to be wasting a penny of taxpayer money.’” (National Journal, 03/14/2009)