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National Security in the Post 9/11 Era

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, Open The Government hosted a roundtable on national security in an era of endless wars and overclassification that has paved the way for unnecessary government secrecy amid calls for checks and balances on executive war powers. Spencer Ackerman, contributing editor, Daily Beast, and author of the new book, Reign of Terror: How

For the People Act Deserves Unwavering Support Despite Latest Senate Republican Opposition

Washington, D.C. – After Senate Republicans blocked a floor debate on the For the People Act, Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open The Government released the following statement: “Today, in an affront to our democratic values, Republicans prevented the Senate from starting debate on the For the People Act, a critical bill that will help realize

Virtual Roundtable on State of Transparency Under Biden

President Joe Biden has made strides in several areas related to accountability, including restoring ethics requirements, revoking harmful Trump administration orders, and reversing COVID-19 pandemic secrecy. As the clock winds down to his next 100 days in office, his administration has yet to make a substantive commitment to transparency and oversight. Will the delay set

OTG Releases Latest Impact Report

After an extraordinarily unusual year largely defined by the coronavirus pandemic and America’s reckoning with racial injustice, the future is beginning to appear a bit more certain. The nation is now moving toward recovery with a new administration in place, and the opportunity to restore our democracy and shore up accountability has never been greater

Coalition Letter to Pelosi Outlines Critical Next Steps for Select Committee on Jan. 6 Investigation

As reports today confirm a select committee, groups urge House Speaker to reserve the authority to exclude Members who undermine the investigation Today, several government accountability organizations called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to consider meaningful recommendations that will advance a House select committee’s inquiry into the January 6 attack of the U.S. Capitol. The groups

House Vote to Repeal Iraq War Powers Bolsters Accountability

Washington, DC — On the United States House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iran, Lisa Rosenberg, Executive Director of Open The Government, issued the following statement: “Today’s vote to repeal the Iraq AUMF is an important moment for the oversight of U.S. wars and constitutional checks

Justice Department reform is long overdue

Washington, DC — On restoring accountability to the Department of Justice after its secret efforts to obtain the phone records of lawmakers and journalists were recently exposed, Lisa Rosenberg, Executive Director of Open The Government, issued the following statement: “Surveillance of members of Congress for political gain is a serious attack on the separation of powers that safeguards

OTG Coalition, Former Government Ethics Chief Calls on White House to Release Virtual Visitor Logs

Washington – Today, Open The Government led a coalition, including 13 transparency and ethics organizations, and Walter Michael Shaub Jr., the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in urging the White House to reverse its decision not to release visitor logs for virtual visits. In a letter to legal counsel Dana Remus, the

Open The Government and Government Accountability Project Request Investigation into Illegal HHS Gag Orders

Washington – Earlier today, Open The Government and Government Accountability Project sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel requesting an investigation into illegal gag orders issued by the political leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last summer. Our organizations wrote: “It has come to our attention that [HHS] leadership

OTG Urges NARA to Revise Proposed Changes to Electronic Records Management Regulations

Open The Government wrote a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration raising important questions about its proposed changes to its electronic records management regulations regarding standards for digitizing permanent Federal records and disposing of original source records. The full text of the letter is below. January 28, 2021 The Honorable David S. FerrieroArchivist

OTG Announces Three New Steering Committee Members

The new additions each bring a unique background of expertise and commitment to government transparency and accountability Washington, D.C. — Open The Government welcomed Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, John Yang, and Nick Chedli Carter as the newest additions to its Steering Committee. OTG’s Steering Committee consists of leaders from a cross-section of accountability organizations that provide strategic and tactical advice

Biden’s Ethics Plan Earns First Victory for Accountability Reform Advocates

(Washington) — By signing an executive order on ethics commitments for the executive branch on his first day in office, President Joe Biden demonstrated the importance of structural ethics reforms that protect the public interest rather than public officials’ gain. The executive order is a major victory for accountability experts from across the political spectrum, who

A reprehensible attack on our democracy

(Washington) — Open The Government released the following statement from Lisa Rosenberg, executive director, in response to the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier today: “The insurrection on Capitol Hill that prevented the Electoral College vote count is a reprehensible attack on our democracy and a serious threat to our nation. The First Amendment protects Americans’

CLC Calls for Biden Administration To Restore Government Accountability Through Ethics Reforms

This blog post from our friends at Campaign Legal Center on Accountability 2021 was originally published here. By Delaney MarscoDecember 2, 2020 Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has joined a nonpartisan coalition, Open the Government, in calling on the Biden administration to implement an agenda of robust ethics reforms. The agenda, called Accountability 2021, includes a broad

Open The Government is an inclusive, nonpartisan coalition that works to strengthen our democracy and empower the public by advancing policies that create a more open, accountable, and responsive government.