Letter to Hon. David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Department of the Interior - Bipartisan Trio Of Leahy, Grassley And Cornyn Tout Bipartisan Process Significantly Improving Interior Dept.'s FOIA Regulations

Letter

Dear Secretary Bernhardt,

In March of this year, we sent your Department a bipartisan, bicameral letter to express significant concerns with the Department of Interior's proposed update to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Act regulations.[1] We write today to express appreciation for the changes reflected in the Department's finalized rule,[2] as well as for the constructive dialogue that occurred between the Department and our offices since our initial letter.

The final rule appears to more faithfully align with FOIA's twin goals of transparency and openness. While our offices will remain vigilant in our oversight--of all agencies' FOIA policies under any administration--we sincerely appreciate the efforts your Department took to keep Congress informed of the final rule's development. Moreover, we were pleased that the Department heard our concerns with the proposed rule and issued a final rule that seeks to directly address those concerns.

Lastly, we note that our March letter, and the inter-branch dialogue that followed, was initiated by the late Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Representative Elijah Cummings, whose legacy in improving government transparency is widely respected. It's in his spirit and dedication to accountability that we hope other agencies, going forward, will provide the same level of dialogue and responsiveness as your Department has in this process. The American people, after all, are best served when Congress and the Executive Branch work together and across party lines to protect their interests.

Respectfully,

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