Volume 158, No. 97 covering the 2nd Session of the 112th Congress (2011 - 2012) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S4631 on June 26, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, on July 4, the Nation will celebrate the 46th anniversary of the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, FOIA. The ``right to know'' is a cornerstone of our Democracy. For five decades, Americans have counted on FOIA to help shed light on the activities of their government.
As we reach this important milestone, there are many victories to celebrate. This week the Senate will enact the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, which includes important language that I helped craft to protect the public's ability to access information under FOIA. Section 710 of that bill will allow the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, to obtain information about drug inspections and drug investigations undertaken by foreign governments, while at the same time ensuring that the American public has access to information about potential health and safety dangers. I thank Senators Harkin and Enzi and the many open-government and consumer groups--
including OpenTheGovernment.org and Public Citizen--who worked with me to enact this FOIA provision.
Last year the Senate unanimously passed the Faster FOIA Act, a bill that I cosponsored with Republican Senator John Cornyn. This legislation would create a bipartisan panel of government and outside experts to make recommendations on improving the FOIA process. Sadly, despite the overwhelming and bipartisan support for this good-
government legislation, this bill has been languishing in the House of Representatives for almost a year.
During the 3 years since President Obama made a historic commitment to restoring the presumption of openness in our government, the Obama administration has also taken steps to strengthen FOIA. I especially want to commend the Office of Government Information Services--and the inaugural Director of the OGIS, Miriam Nisbet--for working with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Commerce to develop an online FOIA Module designed to help agencies better meet their requirements under the FOIA. This new FOIA program reaffirms the President's commitment to transparency in our government and will make government information more accessible to the American people.
While these and other FOIA accomplishments give us good reasons to celebrate, many other threats to the public's right to access information under FOIA remain. In the coming weeks the Senate is expected to consider several legislative exemptions to FOIA in relation to cybersecurity legislation. As this legislative process unfolds, I intend to work with Members on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the American public's ability to access information about threats to their health and safety in cyberspace is protected.
Securing our Nation's critical infrastructure information is a pressing national priority. So, too, is protecting the rights of Americans to know what their government is doing. We must strike a careful balance between security and openness in our cybersecurity policies. The anniversary of FOIA's enactment provides a timely reminder of just how important it is for the Congress to get that balance right.
As I have said many time before, open government is neither a Democratic issue, nor a Republican issue--it is truly an American value and virtue that we all must uphold. It is in this bipartisan spirit that I will continue to work to fulfill FOIA's promise of openness in our government and that I join all Americans in celebrating the 46th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up