FOIA Reform Bill Dead

Effort to improve government transparency killed by House.

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In case you missed it, House Speaker John Boehner killed an effort to improve government transparency last week, according to at least one senator.

The Senate had unanimously passed a bill to reform the Freedom of Information Act in large part by directing government agencies to presume records are public. But the House wouldn’t hear it.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, on Thursday declared the reform effort dead for the year. He had introduced the new reforms in June ahead of the 48th anniversary of FOIA’s enactment.

The Hill’s Mario Trujillo has this report with more information.

Sen. Patrick Leahy

Sen. Patrick Leahy, pictured here at a March hearing, blames House Speaker John Boehner for killing the FOIA reform bill last week.

Senate Appropriations Committee/Flickr

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