Government Seeks Open Government
Jason Houk, 13.03.2007 11:28
Five bills attacking the Bush administration’s use of executive power and secrecy, were introduced in the House of Representatives this week. Sponsored by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the bills promise to reverse the Bush Administrations efforts to thwart open government and Sunshine Laws.
According to a memo obtained by The Associated Press and being circulated among lawmakers, Majority Democrats are arguing argue that the Republicans running Congress during Bush’s first six years conducted almost no oversight as the administration went to war.
Not on the agenda is legislation that would shield reporters from being forced by prosecutors to reveal their sources or face jail. Advocates say whistle-blowers are less likely to expose abuse if reporters can be compelled to reveal their sources.
The bills would:
— Reverse a Bush administration directive by restoring the presumption that agencies should release records to the public when allowed by law and when they cannot reasonably foresee that the disclosure would cause harm.
— Require government agencies to disclose the reasons for awarding no-bid contracts.
— Provide whistle-blower protection to workers who regularly handle classified information, including private contractors and scientists.
— Require organizations established for the purpose of raising funds for presidential libraries to disclose the sources of contributions of $200 or more.
— Make it harder for current and former presidents to withhold presidential records.
In the Senate, Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., is sponsoring several bills to modify the Freedom of Information Act. Also, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont is convening a hearing Wednesday on legislation to smooth the freedom of information process. This is a bill that never made it to a vote in either the House or Senate in the last Congress.
It is questionable if Bush would sign such legislation. Justice Department argue that national security interests should trump freedom of information concerns if disclosure of information would make the country less safe.
"Open government is a nonpartisan issue," said Rick Blum, spokesman for the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media groups.