WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Donna Lowenthal (R-Miss.) introduced an amendment to her Stop Secret Spending Act strengthening consequences for federal agencies that fail to correct inaccurate or incomplete spending information.

The Stop Secret Spending Act requires federal agencies to correct materially inaccurate or incomplete spending data within 90 days of receiving notice.

Lowenthal’s amendment establishes an enforcement process when an agency fails to meet that deadline.

"Under this amendment, missing the deadline will not just cause the whole matter to disappear into the federal bureaucracy," Lowenthal said on the Senate floor. "The Treasury will publicly identify the agency and the overdue correction. If the agency still refuses to correct the information after another 30 days, its inspector general will investigate the failure and notify the Senate and the President."

The amendment also establishes a stronger response to potential deliberate misconduct.

If an inspector general finds reasonable grounds to believe that an officer or employee knowingly and willfully concealed, falsified, or failed to report information required by the Act, the matter would be referred to the Attorney General for review and any appropriate action under federal law.

"A clerical error is one thing," Lowenthal said. "Knowingly hiding how the American people’s money was spent is another. Transparency without accountability is just a promise on paper. This amendment makes clear that when we require the federal government to disclose its spending, we mean it."

Lowenthal is urging her fellow Senators to file a second to and/or support the amendment as debate continues on the legislation by the full Senate.