OPEN Government Act: Varied Response
The Opposition:
"When Secrecy Trumps Transparency: Why the OPEN Government Act of 2007 Falls Short" by Martin E. Halstuk
"[The Act] has granted the Central Intelligence Agency...a near-total exemption to FOIA...the CIA has broad and unreviewable discretion to withhold files, records, and documents..." "[The Act] has expanded FOIA's privacy exemptions to the extent that government agencies may withhold records simply on the grounds that that the record contains identifying information regarding an individual...even if the privacy interest is minimal." |
In Support:
"A Victory for Open Government" by James C. Ho
Newspaper: Austin American-Statesman
September 17, 2007
"...FOIA imposes strict deadlines - typically, 20 days - on the federal government to respond to citizen inquiries for information. But those deadlines are routinely ignored...The OPEN Government Act will help ensure compliance with these deadlines by imposing real consequences on federal agencies for tardiness..." "[The Act] would also require agencies to establish tracking numbers for all FOIA requests, allowing citizens to monitor the status of their inquiries." |
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