Political Quotes

“the Freedom of Information Act, our Nation's premier transparency law, is on the eve of its 50th anniversary, July 4, 2016. It is fitting that FOIA shares its birthday with our Republic itself. Our democracy is built upon the principle that a government of, by, and for the people cannot be one that is hidden from them. Today we recommit ourselves to this ideal by sending to the President the FOIA Improvement Act. This bill, which I coauthored with Senator Cornyn, ushers in the most significant reforms to FOIA since its enactment 50 years ago. With the House's unanimous passage of our legislation today, we ensure FOIA will remain strong for another 50 years. First and foremost, the FOIA Improvement Act codifies a ``presumption of openness,'' putting the force of law behind the notion that sunshine, not secrecy, is the default setting of our government. This is the same language President Obama laid out in his historic memorandum in 2009 and which now applies to government agencies. This policy was first put into place by President Bill Clinton, but then it was reversed by President George W. Bush. President Obama reinstated it as one of his first acts in office. However, self-imposed executive orders provide the executive branch overly-broad latitude in adhering to its letter and spirit.…”