White House Refuses to Release Visitor Logs
Jul 29, 2009
On July 22, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for withholding White House visitor logs. The logs pertain to individuals who visited the White House to discuss health care policy. Some see the administration’s refusal to disclose the logs as a continuation of Bush administration secrecy.
read in fullOpen Government Directive Experiment Wraps up July 6
Jun 30, 2009
On Monday, July 6, the Obama administration plans to conclude the third and final phase of its innovative online process to solicit public participation in the creation of an Open Government Directive. The process is the first of its kind for public involvement in executive branch policymaking.
read in fullTorture Photo Disclosure Ban out of War Spending Bill but Still Possible
Jun 16, 2009
During the week of June 8, an amendment seeking to block disclosure of photos of abused detainees in U.S. custody was removed from the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 2346). However, Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC), sponsors of the amendment, have pledged to insert the language into other legislation. Moreover, the release of the torture photos is the subject of a lawsuit that may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
read in fullAdministration Seeks Public Input on Open Government
Jun 2, 2009
Starting May 21, the Obama administration began to make good on the president's goal of "work[ing] together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration," as expressed in his Jan. 21 memorandum on transparency and open government.
read in fullOMB Watch Applauds Obama Administration's Step Forward on Open Government
May 22, 2009
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2009—On Jan. 21, President Barack Obama issued a memo about the Open Government Directive. The memo gave the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) 120 days to develop recommendations for the directive. This effort has taken a slightly different direction that is encouraging collaboration and public engagement.
read in fullJustice Department Clarifies FOIA Policy
May 6, 2009
On April 17, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance on agency implementation of the March 19 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) memo written by Attorney General Eric Holder. Despite the clarifications, public interest groups continue to notice a wide difference between the new policy and agency actions on FOIA.
read in fullOMB Watch Unveils Redesigned, Expanded Environmental Right-to-Know Website
May 5, 2009
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2009—OMB Watch today launched a redesigned and expanded website for the Right-to-Know Network (RTK NET) at www.rtknet.org. The website serves as a source for information about environmental and public health threats and opportunities for public engagement with environmental policy, and it offers news, data, and analysis of environmental right-to-know issues.
read in fullNew FOIA Memo, Hot Off the Press
Mar 24, 2009
On March 19, the Obama administration issued a new set of guidelines to federal agencies on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), replacing Bush-era rules that many thought promoted a culture of secrecy in government. Written by Attorney General Eric Holder, the Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum outlines a spirit of transparency that reflects President Obama’s Jan. 21 assertion, "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
read in fullOMB Watch Executive Director Contributes to Book on Sustainability
Feb 11, 2009
The Environmental Law Institute has released the Agenda for a Sustainable America, a comprehensive assessment of U.S. progress toward sustainable development and a roadmap of necessary next steps toward achieving a sustainable America. OMB Watch Executive Director Gary D. Bass contributed to the book, in a chapter titled "Public Access to Information, Participation, and Justice: Forward and Backward Steps Toward an Informed and Engaged Citizenry."
Order Agenda for a Sustainable America
read in fullNew Potential and Challenges for White House Website
Jan 28, 2009 by Sean Moulton
President Barack Obama replaced the Bush administration's White House website at noon on Inauguration Day. The new website has been met with both applause and criticism in its first week of operation, but it offers indications of how the new president may utilize Internet technology to better inform the public.
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