Message from Senator Leahy.

I received this email from Senator Leahy concerning the FOIA... And thank you Mr. Leahy...



Last summer the Leahy for Vermont online community came together to demand open government by improving the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the 21st Century. I'm pleased to let you know that our efforts have finally paid off and that we will all have a new law honoring the public's right to know under the tree this holiday season.

Late yesterday the House of Representatives approved the bipartisan OPEN Government Act, and will be sending this historic legislation to the President's desk for his signature before year's end. With his signature, the OPEN Government Act will improve the FOIA process by:

• Imposing meaningful deadlines on agencies handling information requests;
• Establishing a FOIA hotline;
• Bringing government records held by private contractors into full public view;
• Creating a FOIA Ombudsman to provide an alternative to costly litigation between FOIA requestors and federal agencies; and
• Allowing federal agencies to waive FOIA fees for freelance journalists and bloggers.

Government accountability and protecting the public's right to know are fundamental American values that transcend party lines. By sending thousands of messages to Congress last summer, the Leahy for Vermont online community ensured that the OPEN Government Act remained a strong bill to the very finish.

Thank you again, and Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator