WASHINGTON -- Curious about how much of your money is going to encourage hydroponic tomato production in Ohio -- or to build bridges to nowhere in Alaska? A user-friendly Web site is going to help you find out.

The House on Wednesday was taking up a measure to create a Google-like search engine that will help interested citizens, as well as advocacy groups, track some $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, special projects and loans.

Congress is expected to give final approval to the legislation this week, sending it to President Bush for his signature. The Office of Management and Budget is to create the database, with a Jan. 1, 2008, target for opening it to the public.

"This bill will make tracking government spending easier for citizens, reporters and legislators alike," the Senate sponsors, Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., said in a statement. "Improving transparency will force lawmakers to be more accountable to the American people."

Passage would allow lawmakers to claim some success in making government more open. The House is also expected to vote on a rules change this week to bring more openness to "earmarks," or special projects. But a main legislative objective this year, lobbying reform in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, has languished.

The database will join numerous others that provide detailed information on public and political spending. But the sponsors said it would be accessible to the average citizen as well as the taxpayer watchdog groups.

Users will be able to type in "Halliburton" or "Planned Parenthood" to find out what kind of contracts or grants over $25,000 have been awarded such companies or groups. They can also do a search for a specific state or district to see what kind of money is flowing from Washington.