Political Quotes

“H.R. 5687, the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2008, makes needed improvements to one of our core open government laws. I want to thank Chairman Clay for introducing this bill and for his continued leadership in support of open government. Advisory committees play a critical role in giving the President and agencies advice on complex issues. The Federal Advisory Committee Act, FACA, is intended to make the advisory committee process open and accountable to protect the independence and integrity of these committees. But in recent years, FACA has been undermined by the practices of the Bush administration. This bill is our response to these abuses: One of my concerns over the last 8 years has been the growth of secrecy. This bill says that White House task forces can no longer operate in total secrecy. They must disclose whom they meet with and what recommendations they receive from special interests. After President Bush was elected, he put Vice President Cheney in charge of a task force to develop the administration's energy policy. Vice President Cheney and his staff met secretly with oil, gas, nuclear, and coal executives. They developed a policy that has enriched the energy companies and their executives at the expense of American consumers, our energy security, and our environment. This bill says that task forces like the Vice President's energy task force must come out from the shadows.”