Raskin Cosponsors Legislation to Increase Transparency in Government

Statement

Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) joined Reps. Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), and Mike Quigley (IL-05) in introducing legislation to increase transparency and accountability within the U.S. government. The bill will give the American people greater insight into how the Executive Branch interprets and implements federal law.

Currently, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) serves as legal advisor to the President and all executive branch agencies, issuing legal opinions and often acting as the final authority on how laws are to be interpreted and what actions are permissible. However, these legal opinions and interpretations are routinely withheld from the U.S. Congress and the American people, creating what can be effectively described as a large body of secret law.

The OLC SUNLIGHT Act will increase transparency by requiring that the OLC's legal opinions and interpretations are published and available to the American people. This requirement will extend not only to upcoming opinions, but will also apply retroactively to previously unpublished final opinions. For cases where information must be withheld for reasons regarding national security or foreign policy, the bill provides for limited redactions and carves out clearly defined exceptions, ensuring maximum accountability.

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