Senate Passes FOIA Legislation
The Senate late Wednesday passed legislation intended to promote more openness regarding statutory exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act by tacking the measure onto another bill that would prevent the release of photos of detainees in U.S. custody. The FOIA bill, sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, "will make certain that when Congress provides for a statutory exemption to FOIA in new legislation, Congress states its intention to do so explicitly and clearly," the senator said in a statement. He said new statutory exemptions to FOIA should always be carefully considered before they are enacted and his bill will help to stop that practice and "shine more light on the process of creating legislative exemptions to FOIA." The Sunshine in Government Initiative's Rick Blum lauded the FOIA bill's passage, saying it "lets the public cry foul when secrecy ideas are overbroad or unjustified." He said he hoped the House would act on companion legislation soon. The detainee photo measure was sponsored by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
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