Congressional Operations

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

Congress Fails Transparency for Official Vehicles, Websites

Sep 3, 2010 by Gavin Baker

Recent reports highlight Congressional weakness on two matters of routine transparency: official vehicles and website design.

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Congress forms Caucus on Transparency: Plans to Focus on Education, Legislation, and Oversight

Mar 25, 2010 by Roger Strother*

Today, Reps. Michael Quigley (D-IL) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced the creation of the bipartisan Congressional Transparency Caucus in the House of Representatives. The Caucus will work to develop policies and data standards that will give Americans better abilities to scrutinize the actions of government.

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Secret Holds Continue in the Senate

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Washington, DC-based watchdog group, recently called upon the Senate Committee on Ethics to investigate the ongoing use of secret holds. The organization contends that senators have failed to abide by Section 512 of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA), which ended the use of secret holds. The group requested the committee discipline senators from both parties who have failed to abide by the procedures, as well as issue guidance to govern future conduct.

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House Sheds Light on Member Expenses

Nov 30, 2009 by Chris George*

In an unprecedented move to increase congressional transparency, as of 1 pm this afternoon, the House of Representatives Statement of Disbursements is available online.

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Read the Bill Act Stalled in Congress

Recently introduced House and Senate resolutions seek to illuminate the legislative process, giving Congress, as well as the American people, the opportunity to read legislation and formulate an informed opinion prior to any debate or votes.

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Controversial Patriot Act Reauthorization Ready for Senate Floor

On Oct. 7, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill, the USA Patriot Act Sunset Extension Act of 2009 (S. 1692), to reauthorize the Patriot Act. The bill, introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chair of the committee, passed with bipartisan support but has been denounced by civil liberties groups and privacy advocates. A week earlier, the committee voted down another reauthorization bill, the JUSTICE Act (S. 1686), introduced by Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), that would have greatly reduced surveillance powers and strengthened civil liberties protections.

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Sunlight Foundation & ProPublica Release Foreign Lobbying Influence Tracker

Aug 20, 2009 by Roger Strother*

In 2008, K Street received $86 million from foreign sources to pursue their interests with representatives of the American people. While states and populations abroad certainly have legitimate interests in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, the origins of much of that money are still largely shrouded in secrecy. The data, until now, has been difficult for most Americans to access. As a result, the Sunlight Foundation and ProPublica joined together to track which foreign governments and corporations are lobbying for representation in the U.S. Congress.

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Climate Transparency Lacking on Senate Websites

Jul 29, 2009 by Brian Turnbaugh*

The websites of U.S. senators are a poor place to look if you are interested in their views on climate change, according to a recent analysis. Although websites are one of a politician's best ways to present their views and educate and engage their constituents about important issues, many of the nation's senators fail to do so, based on a review of websites by Grist, the environmental news outlet.

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Sen. Coburn Wants You to Examine His Records UPDATED

Jul 7, 2009 by Gary Therkildsen*

Last night, as expected, the Senate passed the $3.1 billion FY 2010 Legislative Branch appropriations bill by a vote of 67-25. Final passage of the bill included Sen. Coburn's amendment requiring all senators to disclose their yearly expenditures in a publicly searchable online format. The Senate approved the amendment by voice vote.

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Sen. Coburn Wants You to Examine His Records

Jul 6, 2009 by Gary Therkildsen*

As members of Congress trickle back from the July Fourth recess, senators will continue debating the FY 2010 Legislative Branch spending bill. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has offered an amendment to the bill that would require senators to disclose their official expenditures online in a publicly searchable format. Members of the House are already required to post their expenses online.

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