Critics say President Bush is trying to block part of a new law that makes the government
more accountable. The Open Government Act is supposed to improve access to
government information. But as Mark Brush reports, the Bush Administration’s recent
budget request attempts to strip a key provision of the new law:
Transcript
Critics say President Bush is trying to block part of a new law that makes the government
more accountable. The Open Government Act is supposed to improve access to
government information. But as Mark Brush reports, the Bush Administration’s recent
budget request attempts to strip a key provision of the new law:
The new Open Government Act tries to address complaints about government secrecy by
creating an impartial mediator: an ombudsman who will help resolve disputes over
information requests. But in his budget, President Bush calls for the elimination of the
new ombudsman.
Rick Blum is the coordinator of the Sunshine in Government Initiative. That’s a
collection of news media groups working for a more open government. Blum says
having an impartial mediator is critical to resolving disputes:
“Right now, if you get denied, if an agency says, ‘No, you can’t receive this document.’
Well, your only recourse is to hire a lawyer at tens of thousands of dollars, or maybe even
over a hundred thousand dollars to pursue a legal case.”
Blum says he’s hopeful that the President’s attempts to eliminate the ombudsman position
will not stand.
For the Environment Report, I’m Mark Brush