Fergie's Tech Blog

U.S. Lawmakers Largely Ignore Web at FOIA Hearing

Aliya Sternstein writes on FCW.com:

Lawmakers who held an oversight hearing to assess the recent presidential executive order aimed at improving disclosure of government information did not emphasize the role that information technology should play in meeting requirements.

The July 26 hearing – timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the passage of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – featured witnesses from Congress, the Government Accountability Office and the Justice Department. The witnesses barely used the words “technology,” “electronic” or “online” in their testimony. The House Government Reform Committee's Government Management, Finance and Accountability Subcommittee held the hearing.

Only the final panel, comprised of open-government advocates, discussed the importance of IT in public access to government information.

posted by Fergie @ 7/28/2006 01:51:00 PM