On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one of the largest government spending projects since the Great Depression. When the $789 billion plan was passed, the Obama Administration made a pledge “to spend wisely, reform bad habits and do their business in the light of day.” To follow through on that commitment, the government created the website, recovery.gov which enables every citizen to monitor the progress of the recovery.

Almost five months have gone by since the bill was passed.  As Congress’s August recess approaches, policy makers are preparing to return to their districts where their constituents will hold them accountable.  Even with recovery.gov up and running, the stimulus and its transparency remains a subject of debate. To help congressional staffers better understand the current status of the Stimulus and Stimulus Transparency, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a panel with Eileen Norcross and Jerry Brito, co-creators of StimulusWatch.org and Senior Research Fellows at the Mercatus Center.  Join us as we address such questions as:

• What is the current status of the Stimulus Plan? What portion of the money has been spent or committed?
• What does stimulus transparency mean for members of congress and their constituents? What are the current activities of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board?
• How can citizens track the stimulus? What is being done with regards to the Recovery.gov effort?