Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the strength of America's system of government lies with an informed public. Free and open access to information created at taxpayer expense is the principle which has enabled the United States to endure and prosper for over 200 years, making this Nation the oldest, continuous, constitutional democratic republic in the world. Members of Congress have a responsibility to our Founding Fathers, to our citizenry, and to future generations to ensure that this principle is maintained. I'd like to take a few minutes this morning to discuss a growing trend to transfer Federal Government information from the public domain to private ownership. This is happening in a number of ways. One is for agencies to establish exclusive or restrictive distribution arrangements that limit public access to information. Another is to charge fees or royalties for reuse or redissemination of public information.”