Leahy OPEN GOVERNMENT act Please Support

ATTENTION THIS IS BIPARTISAN
The reason why government agencies and the mass ilk of same cannot be held accountable is quite often attributable to the fact that attorneys, private citizens and others who have been 'shafted' cannot get the information that they need to prosecute. They file FOIAs which, as you know, are the Freedom of Information Act forms to compel a govt agency to release data and records pertaining to almost anything.
My personal belief is that we should not even be paying for the paperwork. They should take that burden on because when they set out to cover something up the way they do it is to make it impossible and/or cost-prohibitive OR use the old foot-dragging to keep you in the dark while the statutes of limitations run out. Why don't judges force this along? I can't answer that.

Senator Leahy is pushing a bill that will update the FOIA giving them less of an excuse to footdrag.

Please support.

From Senator Leahy:

Earlier this month, our nation marked the 41st anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) -- a landmark law that has ensured the public's "right to know" for generations.
Unfortunately, while FOIA has been indispensable in shining a bright light on bad policies and government abuses, it is now often plagued by excessive delays in producing information -- in some cases, delays of many months and even years.
It's time to bring FOIA into the 21st Century to ensure that government is open and responsible to all Americans.
Email your home-state Senators today and urge them to support my bipartisan OPEN Government Act to modernize FOIA.
FOIA was designed to keep our government open and transparent to the public by requiring federal agencies to provide government information to its citizens. It is a critical way of keeping government responsive to the American people.
But today, Americans who seek information under FOIA remain less likely to obtain it than during any other time in FOIA's 40-plus year history. According to a study by the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, the percentage of FOIA requestors who obtained at least some of the information that they requested from the government declined by 31 percent in 2006.
This troubling trend threatens to eliminate an important way for the public to keep a watchful eye on our government, reducing faith in our institutions and opening the door to the potential for abuse. We can't allow this problem to remain unaddressed.
Email your home-state Senators today and urge them to support my bipartisan OPEN Government Act to modernize FOIA.
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to reinvigorate FOIA for a new century. Our bill would:
Restore meaningful deadlines for responding to public requests
Clarify that FOIA applies to government records held by private contractors
Establish a FOIA hotline for all federal agencies
Create a FOIA ombudsman to provide an alternative to costly litigation
The OPEN Government Act is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 13 Senators and by groups across the ideological spectrum.
However, our bill is being blocked by a Republican hold from passing the Senate floor. We can't let a few obstructionists allow critical government decisions to be made in the shadows -- that's why I need your help today.
Email your home-state Senators today and urge them to support my bipartisan OPEN Government Act to modernize FOIA.
Open government is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. Rather, open government is a fundamental American principle that the people have the right to know what their government is doing in their name.
For four decades FOIA has been a critical window into the halls of power in the federal government -- and I need your help to keep it that way.
Please help me reform FOIA!
Sincerely,
Patrick LeahyU.S. Senator
P.S. Please take just a moment to forward an email to your home-state Senator, urging them to support my OPEN Government Act. We need to ensure that our government is responsive to the American people -- and reforming FOIA will help us do just that. Thank you.
E-mail your Senators Visit LeahyForVermont.com
Paid for by Leahy for U.S. Senator Committee, Inc.PO Box 1042Montpelier, VT 05601

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