House to Put Office Spending Online

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said yesterday that the House will soon start posting online quarterly records of how Members use their personal office funds, giving watchdog groups a chance to examine staff salaries and other spending by Members of Congress. Congress has long published such information in a volume called the Statement of Disbursements, but it will now be released online, which Speaker Pelosi said would increase transparency. The change comes as members of the British Parliament are under fire for spending huge sums of taxpayer money through their public accounts on such expenses as cleaning a moat and having light bulbs installed in their homes.