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The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a 40-year old law that gives citizens
a right to get copies of government records unless the records are exempted
for good reason. FOIA is essential to government accountability — but it
is all too easy for government to delay or deny the information citizens and
journalists ask for.
That's why Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) drew up the
bill (S 394 — known as the OPEN Government Act): to give federal agencies
a strong push to quit stalling and hand over records when required by law.
Background. The
Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill on Sept. 21 — but one sponsor
suspects it is being blocked from coming to a vote in the Senate by a parliamentary
device called a "secret hold" at the request of the Bush administration.
An army of bloggers "outed" Senators who placed a hold on another bill earlier
this year, and the Society of Environmental Journalists wants to know who
is blocking FOIA reform. We're encouraging journalists and citizens to join
us in asking all 100 senators to state whether or not they have a hold on
the bill. We will publish the results.
State |
Senator
(Party) |
Phone |
Hold? |
Details |
| Alabama |
Jeff
Sessions (R) |
(202)
224-4124 |
|
|
| |
Richard
C. Shelby (R) |
(202)
224-5744 |
|
|
| Alaska |
Lisa
Murkowski (R) |
(202)
224-6665 |
|
|
| |
Ted
Stevens (R) |
(202)
224-3004 |
|
|
| Arizona |
Jon
Kyl (R) |
(202)
224-4521 |
|
|
| |
John
McCain (R) |
(202)
224-2235 |
|
|
| Arkansas |
Blanche
L. Lincoln (D) |
(202)
224-4843 |
|
|
| |
Mark
L. Pryor (D) |
(202)
224-2353 |
|
|
| California |
Barbara
Boxer (D) |
(202)
224-3553 |
|
|
| |
Dianne
Feinstein (D) |
(202)
224-3841 |
|
|
| Colorado |
Wayne
Allard (R) |
(202)
224-5941 |
|
|
| |
Ken
Salazar (D) |
(202)
224-5852 |
|
|
| Connecticut |
Christopher
J. Dodd (D) |
(202)
224-2823 |
|
|
| |
Joseph
I. Lieberman (D) |
(202)
224-4041 |
|
|
| Delaware |
Joseph
R. Biden Jr. (D) |
(202)
224-5042 |
|
|
| |
Thomas
R. Carper (D) |
(202)
224-2441 |
|
|
| Florida |
Mel
Martinez (R) |
(202)
224-3041 |
|
|
| |
Bill
Nelson (D) |
(202)
224-5274 |
|
|
| Georgia |
Saxby
Chambliss (R) |
(202)
224-3521 |
|
|
| |
Johnny
Isakson (R) |
(202)
224-3643 |
|
|
| Hawaii |
Daniel
K. Akaka (D) |
(202)
224-6361 |
|
|
| |
Daniel
K. Inouye (D) |
(202)
224-3934 |
|
|
| Idaho |
Larry
E. Craig (R) |
(202)
224-2752 |
|
|
| |
Mike
Crapo (R) |
(202)
224-6142 |
|
|
| Illinois |
Richard
Durbin (D) |
(202)
224-2152 |
|
|
| |
Barack
Obama (D) |
(202)
224-2854 |
|
|
| Indiana |
Evan
Bayh (D) |
(202)
224-5623 |
|
|
| |
Richard
G. Lugar (R) |
(202)
224-4814 |
|
|
| Iowa |
Chuck
Grassley (R) |
(202)
224-3744 |
|
|
| |
Tom
Harkin (D) |
(202)
224-3254 |
|
|
| Kansas |
Pat
Roberts (R) |
(202)
224-4774 |
|
|
| |
Sam
Brownback (R) |
(202)
224-6521 |
|
|
| Kentucky |
Jim
Bunning (R) |
(202)
224-4343 |
|
|
| |
Mitch
McConnell (R) |
(202)
224-2541 |
|
|
| Louisiana |
Mary
L. Landrieu (D) |
(202)
224-5824 |
|
|
| |
David
Vitter (R) |
(202)
224-4623 |
|
|
| Maine |
Susan
M. Collins (R) |
(202)
224-2523 |
|
|
| |
Olympia
J. Snowe (R) |
(202)
224-5344 |
|
|
| Maryland |
Barbara
A. Mikulski (D) |
(202)
224-4654 |
|
|
| |
Paul
S. Sarbanes (D) |
(202)
224-4524 |
|
|
| Massachusetts |
Edward
M. Kennedy (D) |
(202)
224-4543 |
|
|
| |
John
F. Kerry (D) |
(202)
224-4543 |
|
|
| Michigan |
Carl
Levin (D) |
(202)
224-6221 |
|
|
| |
Debbie
Stabenow (D) |
(202)
224-4822 |
|
|
| Minnesota |
Norm
Coleman (R) |
(202)
224-5641 |
|
|
| |
Mark
Dayton (D) |
(202)
224-3244 |
|
|
| Mississippi |
Thad
Cochran (R) |
(202)
224-5054 |
|
|
| |
Trent
Lott (R) |
(202)
224-6253 |
|
|
| Missouri |
Christopher
S. Bond (R) |
(202)
224-5721 |
|
|
| |
James
M. Talent (R) |
(202)
224-6154 |
|
|
| Montana |
Max
Baucus (D) |
(202)
224-2651 |
|
|
| |
Conrad
Burns (R) |
(202)
224-2644 |
|
|
| Nebraska |
Chuck
Hagel (R) |
(202)
224-4224 |
|
|
| |
E.
Benjamin Nelson (D) |
(202)
224-6551 |
|
|
| Nevada |
John
Ensign (R) |
(202)
224-6244 |
|
|
| |
Harry
Reid (D) |
(202)
224-3542 |
|
|
| New Hampshire |
Judd
Gregg (R) |
(202)
224-3324 |
|
|
| |
John
E. Sununu (R) |
(202)
224-2841 |
|
|
| New Jersey |
Frank
R. Lautenberg (D) |
(202)
224-3224 |
|
|
| |
Robert
Menendez (D) |
(202)
224-4744 |
|
|
| New Mexico |
Jeff
Bingaman (D) |
(202)
224-5521 |
|
|
| |
Pete
V. Domenici (R) |
(202)
224-6621 |
|
|
| New York |
Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D) |
(202)
224-4451 |
|
|
| |
Charles
E. Schumer (D) |
(202)
224-6542 |
|
|
| North Carolina |
Richard
Burr (R) |
(202)
224-3154 |
|
|
| |
Elizabeth
Dole (R) |
(202)
224-6342 |
|
|
| North Dakota |
Kent
Conrad (D) |
(202)
224-2043 |
|
|
| |
Byron
Dorgan (D) |
(202)
224-2551 |
|
|
| Ohio |
Mike
DeWine (R) |
(202)
224-2315 |
|
|