Last week, I relaunched the Golden Fleece Award as a way to give private citizens a greater role in government accountability (You can submit entries here).

For those who don't know, the Golden Fleece Award was originally introduced by Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin William Proxmire in March of 1975, the Golden Fleece Award was a monthly bulletin on the most frivolous and wasteful uses of hardworking taxpayers’ dollars.

Senator Proxmire was never short on material, and his diligence in highlighting government waste made the Golden Fleece Award a staple in the U.S. Senate. Legendary Senator Robert Byrd once stated that the awards were “as much a part of the Senate as quorum calls and filibusters.”

In bringing it back, I wanted not only to honor the commitment to government oversight the original award provided, but also to add some original ideas to make today's Golden Fleece Award slightly more unique than its predecessor. That is why this version of the award will be determined by you, the taxpayer.

By submitting examples of wasteful spending to the "hashtag" #GoldenFleeceOversight you can have a meaningful impact on the discussion about the national debt by highlighting the most egregious uses of taxpayer funds. A Nation that is almost $18 trillion in debt shouldn't be wasting your money on projects as purposeless as non-functioning solar panels or determining why Wikipedia has a 'gender bias.'

Each month, I will select a new "winner" to highlight as the biggest waste of taxpayer dollars. I also will be keeping a tally of the total dollar figure for all Golden Fleece submissions. Please take to Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about this important oversight initiative.

I look forward to reading your submissions and working with you to heighten the public's attention on Washington's wasteful spending habits.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill

All six members of Arkansas' congressional delegation said Wednesday that they plan to fight back against a water regulation rule approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Originally called the Waters of the United States rule, the EPA has started referring to it as the Clean Water Rule...

U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock also criticized the White House.

"I am not surprised by the President's decision to finalize the rule, as it's consistent with his knack for making unilateral decisions without the consultation of Congress, state and local governments, and other relevant stakeholders," he said.