Issa and Cummings Introduce Bipartisan FOIA Reform Legislation

Statement

Today, Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen our nation's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws. The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2015 would establish a presumption of openness for releasing information while creating electronic accessibility for frequently released information. The Issa-Cummings bill would also strengthen oversight and review of FOIA compliance, as well as dispute resolution from the Office of Government Information Services.

"At a time when the American people's trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, we must strengthen and refine our laws that enable transparency and openness in government," said Issa. "Requests through the Freedom of Information Act remain the best tool for the American people to hold their government accountable. In this information technology driven era, it should be easier, not harder for citizens to have simpler and broader access to government information."

"This bipartisan legislation will strengthen one of our most critical open government laws by bringing greater sunlight to federal agency actions," said Cummings. "There should be a presumption of openness in this country, and agencies should have to justify their actions when they want to withhold information from the American people."

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