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.

On Dec. 3, the House passed the Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009 (H.R. 4154). With time running short, the bill now moves to the Senate, where straight passage of it is uncertain, and passage of any estate tax legislation is anything but assured.

On Nov. 23, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rulemaking to revise its implementation of an anti-prostitution policy requirement for organizations that receive HIV/AIDS funding from the agency. The requirement currently compels speech by government grantees.

In addition to nonprofit organizations, educational groups, and individual advocates, corporations have recently begun to stake out positions in the ongoing open government dialogue. Among these private sector actors are Adobe, Google, and Microsoft. These new voices are putting both money and technological resources behind an effort to advance the Obama administration’s commitment to transparency.