How to Use the USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Windsurf

Q: How do I analyze spending patterns using USAspending (Federal Spending) with Windsurf?

Windsurf uses searchspendingovertime to plot aggregated transaction amounts over time. You just tell it the date range, and your agent builds the query. It makes visualizing trends simple.

Q: Can USAspending (Federal Spending) data be queried for disaster spending using Windsurf?

Yes. Your AI client uses getdisasteroverview to get an initial summary of emergency funding. You can then drill down with getdisasterawardamount to see detailed obligations and outlays for specific disaster awards.

Q: How do I find out which agencies received the most money using USAspending (Federal Spending) with Windsurf?

Start by calling gettoptieragencies to get a list of major players. Then, use the agent's ability to chain calls to query their total obligations via getagencybudgetaryresources for multiple fiscal years.

Q: Does USAspending (Federal Spending) support searching by geography using Windsurf?

Absolutely. The MCP Server has a tool, searchspendingbygeography, that lets you query spending based on state, county, or even congressional district boundaries.

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Connect USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect USAspending (Federal Spending) to Windsurf and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup USAspending (Federal Spending) with Windsurf

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Analyze spending trends with the MCP Server.

The `search_spending_over_time` tool aggregates transaction amounts, letting you track how federal spending changes year over year. You can set a goal like 'show me all major expenditures between 2018 and 2023,' and Windsurf handles the multi-step query. It also manages complex lookups. If you need to find recipients who received awards in multiple years, it chains together `get_recipient` calls with time filters. This means your agent figures out the steps without you needing to tell it every single one.

Query and filter USAspending (Federal Spending) data.

Need specific details on how federal money moved? Start by calling `get_award` with an award ID. This returns the full record, including all funding sources via `get_award_funding`. If you want to narrow it down further, Windsurf can automatically use `search_spending_by_category` using agency or CFDA codes. Don't forget subawards. The agent uses `get_subawards` linked to a parent award ID, giving you the full picture of who got paid and how much money was obligated across multiple layers.

Download raw USAspending (Federal Spending) data.

When you need the numbers in Excel format, use `bulk_download_awards` to generate a ZIP file containing award data in CSV. This is perfect for feeding into internal models. If you only want specific transactions or subawards, you can use `download_search`. Simply define your search criteria—maybe all transactions related to a particular agency—and the MCP Server handles creating and delivering the resulting ZIP file.

Setup guide

Set up USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
2

Add the USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my USAspending (Federal Spending) payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the USAspending (Federal Spending) tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usaspending-federal-spending-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by USAspending. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Windsurf

Windsurf uses `search_spending_over_time` to plot aggregated transaction amounts over time. You just tell it the date range, and your agent builds the query. It makes visualizing trends simple.

Yes. Your AI client uses `get_disaster_overview` to get an initial summary of emergency funding. You can then drill down with `get_disaster_award_amount` to see detailed obligations and outlays for specific disaster awards.

This server handles award details, which include recipient names and Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI). When using Windsurf, your agent manages these specific identifiers during its multi-step queries.

Start by calling `get_toptier_agencies` to get a list of major players. Then, use the agent's ability to chain calls to query their total obligations via `get_agency_budgetary_resources` for multiple fiscal years.

Absolutely. The MCP Server has a tool, `search_spending_by_geography`, that lets you query spending based on state, county, or even congressional district boundaries.

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