Brecheen, Josh RSS Articles

Congressman Josh Brecheen Introduces the Expedited Transparency Act

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2026

Congressman Josh Brecheen Introduces the Expedited Transparency Act

Washington, DC–Today, Congressman Brecheen introduced the Expedited Transparency Act to require faster reporting on where taxpayer dollars are being spent. This legislation amends the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act by requiring that all taxpayer disbursements be made public on USASpending.gov within three business days.

Co-leads of this legislation are Congressmen Jimmy Panetta and Chip Roy. Original cosponsors are Representatives Begich, Higgins, Cloud, Donalds, Harshbarger, and Self.

This legislation also has outside support from the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Americans for Tax Reform, State Financial Officer Foundation, and American Action Forum.

The Washington Stand wrote an exclusive on this legislation, which you can read here. Bill text can be read here.

"It is an honor to introduce the Expedited Transparency Act, which will update late-Senator Coburn’s Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act to require that all disbursements of federal taxpayer dollars be viewable on USASpending within three days. This means that whenever appropriated monies are spent, the agencies will be required to make this disbursement public within three days.

Currently, it takes weeks for these disbursements to be made public, furthering the divide between taxpayers and transparency. It is essential that we require rapid transparency, as the longer the delay between disbursement and reporting, the harder it is to demand accountability. Agencies will always seek ways to hide their spending, as evidenced by the major discrepancy in agency reporting: some report in a matter of weeks, some in six months, and some not at all. There must be transparency and accountability, not excuses and delays!

By introducing the Expedited Transparency Act, we are advancing the transparency initiative Dr. Coburn championed with the original measure. I want to thank John Hart, CEO of Open the Books, for allowing us to work on this initiative with him. John was the Communications Director for Dr. Coburn when this initiative was originally passed," said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

"Our founders wrote transparency into the Constitution before the Bill of Rights because it is a first principle and a building block of our other freedoms. Had the founders had access to today's technology, they would have insisted on real-time transparency. The Expedited Transparency Act is a much-needed improvement to USASpending, which was created by Senators Coburn and Obama in 2006. This bill will dramatically speed up the reporting process and help sunshine overcome secrecy. In a free society, you can't have accountability without visibility. Americans should be encouraged Representatives Brecheen and Panetta are fighting for this first principle across party lines. There are no Republican facts or Democrat facts. There are simply facts. Taxpayers have the right to know how the government is spending their money in as close to real-time as possible," said John Hart, CEO, Open the Books.

"Right now, the American people are forced to wait a month before they can see how their tax dollars are being disbursed, a delay that undermines accountability and leaves the public in the dark," said Congressman Jimmy Panetta. "The Expedited Transparency Act closes that gap by requiring federal award information to be posted within 3 days, ensuring citizens have real-time access to how their government spends their money. With this commonsense reform, we can take a meaningful step toward a more transparent and trustworthy federal government."

“Federal spending is out of control, pushing our nation further and further to the brink. One of the many tools we have to keep it in check is transparency. I am proud to lead with Representatives Brecheen and Panetta on this legislation so that taxpayers can finally get timely accounting of how their tax dollars are being spent," said Congressman Chip Roy.

Background: The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 created USASpending. This was a bipartisan initiative led by late-Senator Coburn and then-Senator Obama to create a portal that allowed taxpayers to view how their tax dollars were being spent.

This legislation echoes the objective set forth by our Founding Fathers that transparency must be a core principle of any republic. As Father of our Constitution, James Madison, once wrote, "[a] popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

As it currently stands, USASpending is not updated for weeks at a time, which delays constituent knowledge of how taxpayer dollars are being spent. The Expedited Transparency Act will allow for quicker reporting on how federal funds are spent, fulfilling the precedent set by President Madison.

Press Inquiries: kate.bryan@mail.house.gov

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Congressman Josh Brecheen's 2025 Highlights

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 29, 2025

Congressman Josh Brecheen's 2025 Highlights

Washington, DC–As we reach the conclusion of Congressman Brecheen's third year in office, here's a recap of the top highlights from the year.

Top Bills Introduced

Healthy SNAP Act of 2025 -- this legislation would exclude certain junk foods from being purchased with SNAP benefits.
USA First Act -- this legislation would transfer any unobligated funds previously appropriated to USAID to the Disaster Relief Fund under FEMA.
DRIVE Act -- this legislation would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from mandating speed limiters on vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) above 26,000 pounds.
Energy Freedom Act -- this legislation would repeal the more than 20 green energy tax subsidies created or expanded by the Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act.

Top Oversight Activity

Congressman Brecheen led 134 Republican Members of Congress in a public commitment to monitoring the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria, ensuring that the sanction repeal conditions found in the NDAA are upheld. Fox News wrote an exclusive on the statement. A copy of the full statement is available here.
Congressman led a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting a criminal investigation into the activities of Biden Administration Special Counsel, Jack Smith, and his grave violation of the Fourth Amendment during Operation Arctic Frost. The Blaze wrote an exclusive on the letter. A copy of the full letter is available here.

By the Numbers

Miles Traveled by our Staff for Visits, Meetings, Events, Speaking Engagements, and Town Halls: 85,137
Constituent Letters Responded To: 21,544
Visits, Meetings, or Events with Constituents, Businesses, and Community Leaders by our Field Representatives: 5,921
Commendation Letters Mailed: 1,521
Constituents Assisted with Casework: 571
Speaking Engagements by our Field Representatives: 120
Media Interviews by Congressman Brecheen: 106
In-Person Town Halls: 20
Telephone Town Halls: 1

Press Inquiries: kate.bryan@mail.house.gov

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Congressman Josh Brecheen Announces Service Academy Nominees

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressman Josh Brecheen announced the students from Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District who have been nominated to the United States Service Academies.

United States Naval Academy

Hudson Pollard (Checotah, OK)

United States Military Academy

Max Cunningham (Locust Grove, OK)

United States Air Force Academy

Cannon Ysbrand (Bokoshe, OK)
Michael Robertson (Claremore, OK)

United States Merchant Marine Academy

Brian Jones (Owasso, OK)

The honor of attending a service academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.

While a nomination does not guarantee admittance, it is a necessary step for determining which students are qualified to attend these prestigious Academies.

Congressman Brecheen's Statement on Reopening the Government

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Washington–Today, Congressman Brecheen released the following statement regarding his vote to reopen the government.

"Today, I voted to end the Schumer Shutdown and reopen the government. The continuing resolution (CR) that 216 of my Republican and 6 of my Democrat colleagues and I voted for will largely maintain current funding levels through January 30th, 2026. We also passed three appropriations bills tied to the CR—MilConVA, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch. While CRs are never optimal, this was a necessary step for reopening the government, keeping spending as low as possible, and resuming the process of passing the annual appropriations bills," said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

Press Inquiries: kate.bryan@mail.house.gov

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Congressman Brecheen on Securing Our Border

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Washington--Today, Congressman Josh Brecheen released a statement on our increasingly secure border.

"Under the Biden Administration, there were 2.9 million nationwide illegal alien encounters during last year alone. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem's leadership, this number has reach a sixth month low with US Border Patrol agents releasing ZERO illegal aliens back into America. This is great news!!!" said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

Congressman Brecheen Cosponsors Impeachment Articles Against Judge Boasberg

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Washington—Today, Congressman Brecheen released a statement regarding cosponsoring Articles of Impeachment against radial Judge James Boasberg.

"I believe it is crucial for Congress to take every legal action available to restore the American people's faith in our justice system. This begins with getting rid of the radicals who take advantage of their positions within the Courts," said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

To read the Articles of Impeachment, click here.

House Values Action Team Statement on Christian Persecution in Nigeria

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Today, the House Values Action Team released a statement highlighting Member comments on the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“I am truly grateful to President Trump for bringing awareness to this genocide in Nigeria and urge everyone to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters there. No country should allow this to continue and the international community should use economic leverage to demand a course correction!” said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

To read the full statement, click here.

Oklahoma Delegation Statement Regarding SNAP Funding and Be a Neighbor Support Services

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

On Saturday, November 1st, 2025, approximately 700,000 Oklahomans will not receive their SNAP benefits. Despite falling into the category of mandatory funding, due to the government shutdown, SNAP contingency funds are not legally available to cover SNAP costs.

We understand that this abrupt pause to SNAP funding may impact many of our constituents, and we wish to assist you during this time. To this end, we recommend that anyone struggling with food scarcity utilize the Oklahoma Human Services’ Be a Neighbor program. Be a Neighbor was started by Governor Stitt in 2018 to help Oklahomans with their food, clothing, and housing needs by providing a comprehensive database of local organizations equipped to support families.

The Be a Neighbor database is simple to use–select your county, choose ‘Food,’ and then select from the list of relevant organizations provided. For any individuals, churches, and organizations wanting to provide support (donations of food, money, &c.) to SNAP beneficiaries, you can use the database to advertise the resources you are able to provide.

To date, every member of the Oklahoma delegation has voted to reopen the government. We urge the left in the Senate to support Republicans’ clean CR so SNAP funding can resume, furloughed federal employees can receive pay, and the government can reopen.

For access to the Be a Neighbor website, click here.

To see the official Oklahoma Delegation statement, click here.

House Values Action Team Statement on Democrats Prolonging Shutdown for Leverage

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Today, the House Values Action team released a statement highlighting Member comments on the prolonged Schumer Shutdown.

"For the first time ever, the Democrats shut down the government over a clean CR so that they could fund trans surgeries and provide healthcare for illegal aliens through Obamacare. This is a completely unacceptable use of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. Liberals in Congress must stop trying to throw money at the Unaffordable Care Act. We must prioritize American families, rather than the partisan desires of left-wing extremists.

I urge my Democrat colleagues to reopen the government. Our troops, federal employees, and American families should not be pawns in the Democrats’ political games," said Congressman Josh Brecheen.

To read the full statement, click here.

Newsweek Op-Ed on the White House Ballroom

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Representatives Andy Biggs, Marlin Stutzman, Andy Ogles, and I recently released an op-ed with Newsweek discussing the White House Ballroom. To read the full article, click here.

"Since its initial construction, the White House has had multiple major renovations, including in 1817, 1902, 1927, and 1952. During the 1902 renovations, President Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing onto the residence, while President Harry Truman “completely gutted and rebuilt the White House” in 1952, according to the White House Historical Association. Since the Truman renovations, every administration has in some way changed the White House.

The current renovations happening at the White House are no different from those of years past. President Trump’s decision to construct a ballroom not only aligns with renovation precedents set by former administrations but also increases the safety of all future presidents and guests who will now be able to attend state dinners indoors rather than in tents on the South Lawn. I am grateful for President Trump’s effort to privately fund this construction project so that these functional changes to the White House do not impact taxpayers," said Congressman Josh Brecheen.