Congress Could Still Pass FOIA Reform [1]
December 3, 2014
There is still a chance that Congress could pass legislation strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) before it adjourns. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a fix-FOIA bill (S 2520) November 20, 2014, setting up the possibility of full-Senate floor action.
The bill (S 2520) unanimously approved by Senate Judiciary is the product of bipartisan work by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and cosponsor John Cornyn (R-TX). The House passed a similar bill (HR 1211) by an overwhelming 410-20 margin on February 25, 2014. But the two versions would still need to be reconciled.
The Society of Environmental Journalists has urged Congress and the President to support such legislation.
- "‘Do-Nothing Congress’ Poised to Enact Historic FOIA Reform," [2] PBS MediaShift, November 25, 2014, by Alexander Howard.
- "FOIA Reform Support Needed Now!" [3] OpenTheGovernment.org.
- Previous Story: WatchDog of November 19, 2014. [4]
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