Elise Stefanik Quotes

In the 21st century, the countries that thrive will be the ones where citizens know their voices will be heard because the institutions are transparent.

When I was first elected to the House in 2006, it was important to me to send a clear message to the people of NY-20: I wanted to be a representative for the people and shed some light on their government, so I became the first member of Congress to post my schedule, my financial disclosures and my earmark requests all online.

When I'm governor... I'll be the first governor with a listed telephone number.

The people have the right to know what their Agents are doing or have done, and it should not be in the option of the Legislature to conceal their proceedings.

The more government transparency, the better.

If you were a public official, you had to be accountable, and you had to be reachable.

And one of the things I've tried to do in my first months in office is to give more Georgians - reporters and members of the general public alike - a closer look at how their government works.

Opening up the Capitol dome and giving the public a look at the inner workings of Congress - however messy they may be - certainly won't be pretty. But trust isn't earned by showing off only your Sunday best. The dirty laundry has to be aired, too.

After all, I have spent the better part of my adult life insisting that government be open... that government be accessible... and that government be held accountable to people who voted us into office.

Legislating should be done in a manner that is understandable to the governed.

Public business in the United State Senate should be done in the public.

… institutions have lost their credibility, not because they don't operate but rather because they operate behind closed doors; they have not been opened to the Chilean people.

Sunlight is better than secrecy when it comes to making laws.

Ever since I arrived in Washington in April 2009, I have been fighting for more transparency and accountability in government.

I will run an open government that speaks with honesty, seeks opinion, listens to its citizens.

We need more transparency and accountability in government so that people know how their money is being spent. That means putting budgets online, putting legislation online.

No one in government should ever think that the citizens they work for can't or won't scrutinize their actions.

We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time.

Remarkably, governments are beginning to embrace the idea that nothing enhances democracy more than giving voice and information to everybody in the country. Why not open their books if they have nothing to hide?

The movement towards radical transparency and accountability has been gaining steam for several decades.

If we want to truly regain the public's trust, we can provide greater accountability and transparency with a simple step. Let's start by communicating to our constituents about the votes we take.

Any spending should be debated openly on the floor of the House and voted on in open session, with the American people having a chance to watch and listen.

The Senate must stop doing so much of its business in secret, behind closed doors…. A bill that affects the nation’s security has been held up for months by a secret hold and cannot see the light of day…. There is no accountability…. The person who exercises a hold ought to be identified…. Secret holds have been the bane of the United States Senate for decades. So much for sunshine in the United States Senate.

I have been instructed by cabinet and caucus members at our last secret meeting that we need more openness in government, but, like, not too much.

Government is competent when all who compose it work as trustees for the whole people. It can make constant progress when it keeps abreast of all the facts. It can obtain justified support and legitimate criticism when the people receive true information of all that government does.