Congress Falls Short On Bid To Update Freedom Of Information Law Despite Bipartisan Support
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON Advocates for greater openness in government were frustrated Friday after Congress failed to update the Freedom of Information Act despite bipartisan support in the House and Senate.
Without a new law, government agencies are likely to continue stonewalling requests for records and other information, said Amy Bennett, assistant director of OpenTheGovernment.org, an advocacy group.
"The only thing that changes an agency's behavior is an act of Congress," she said.
The Senate approved a bill this week that would require federal agencies to have a presumption of openness when considering the release of government information. Under the bill, exemptions to withhold information would be reduced, and agencies operating under the act would have to make records available for public inspection in an electronic format.
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