WASHINGTON DC (October 25, 2019) — Senators Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) David Bernhardt expressing appreciation for the changes reflected in the agency’s final rule, published today, updating its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) policies.
In March, the senators, alongside the late Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Representative Elijah Cummings, wrote to Secretary Bernhardt to express significant concerns with DOI’s proposed FOIA rule, which appeared to restrict public-access to records and unnecessarily delay the processing of FOIA requests. Today’s letter also highlights the constructive dialogue and responsiveness that DOI provided since the members’ March 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,” the members wrote. “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.”
Text of the letter enclosed.
