Reuters: Congress asks states about infrastructure spending

From Reuters:  

The U.S. Congress sent more than 450 letters to state and local agencies on Friday requesting they detail how they will use funds from the recently enacted stimulus plan in yet another attempt to keep an eye on spending.  U.S. governors have 45 days to certify how infrastructure funds they deploy will create jobs, how their states will maintain current spending, that they have given the projects under the funds full review, and the purpose and rationale of the projects.  The letters, which were also sent to state and local transportation departments, request more information than was required by the economic recovery law President Barack Obama signed last week.  James Oberstar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the House of Representatives Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement the demand for many details "should come as no surprise."