Strengthening Checks and Balances

Congress Must Reassert Check on Executive Branch After Trump Airstrike Against Iran

Statement of Lisa Rosenberg, Executive Director, Open The Government. Note: The U.S. drone strike that recently killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Iraq stirred talk of war as Iran,   Read Full

January 9, 2020

LA Times Op-Ed: We need the full truth about the CIA’s torture program

CIA lobby seal

The new movie “The Report” is a powerful telling of the story of the Senate investigation into the horrors of the CIA’s torture program and the fight to allow the   Read Full

November 21, 2019

A FOIA Win: Interior’s final rule drops changes that would have stifled public requests

The Department of Interior published its final Freedom of Information Act regulations, with significant changes from proposed revisions first issued in December 2018. The changes address concerns of public interest   Read Full

October 28, 2019

Letter to Committee on Homeland Security Entered into Congressional Record at DHS FOIA Hearing

At the ‘Public’s Right to Know: FOIA at the Department of Homeland Security’ hearing held by the Oversight, Management, and Accountability Subcommittee of the Committee on Homeland Security, several Open   Read Full

October 18, 2019

Statement on passing of Congressman Cummings

Open The Government issued the following statement on the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md), chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee: “Rep. Cummings was one of the greatest   Read Full

October 17, 2019

Impeachment Inquiry: A tough, but inevitable, pill for Trump given track record

More than a battle of the wills between the executive and legislative branches of our government, an impeachment inquiry is a process backed by the Constitution to hold the president   Read Full

October 4, 2019

Lawsuit Against Health and Human Services Highlights Need for Contractor Transparency

Open The Government filed suit against the Department of Health and Human Services recently under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for failing to provide records on one of its   Read Full

Amazon: Fix Rekognition’s Flaws and Leave Facial Recognition Legislation to Congress

Facial Recognition Technology Regulation: A Practical Guide for Congress

After dismissing research indicating its facial recognition product ‘Rekognition’ disproportionately misidentified minorities and women, Amazon’s chief Jeff Bezos revealed the company is developing facial recognition legislation to pitch to Congress.   Read Full

September 30, 2019

New Facial Recognition Citizen’s Guide Empowers Public to Investigate Use of the Technology

The Citizen’s Guide by Open The Government and MuckRock explores federal, local and state agencies’ acquisition of controversial facial recognition technology over the last few years. Little is known about   Read Full

September 24, 2019

35 Civil Society Groups Urge Senate to Promptly Amend FOIA

Last week, Open The Government joined a nonpartisan coalition of government openness, accountability, and human rights groups in urging the Senate to support the Open and Responsive Government Act. The   Read Full

September 23, 2019