Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

• Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including news that despite his statements during a 2007 interview, President Obama has done little to change the closeness of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to industry, details of the fundraising by Congressman Mike Pompeo by Koch Industries, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal reported on the campaign expenses of Koch Industries for the 2010 election cycle. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Anupama Narayanswamy reported that in 2010, members, committees, and other offices of the U.S. House of Representatives spent more than $1.36 billion on salaries, benefits, office equipment, travel, consultants, and other expenses. (Sunlight Reporting Group)
• James Turk announced that Sunlight Labs has been accepted as a mentoring application for the Google Summer Code of 2011. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
• Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (Transparency Caucus Blog)

Here is Tuesday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

• AT&T consistently outspends the majority of its competitors when it comes to lobbying, and is stepping it up as the federal review of it’s proposed merger with T-Mobile begins. Politico
• Prominent DC lobbyist John Weinfurter hosted a fundraising party for Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH), a member who proudly touts her work to limit lobbyist influence in Washington. Washington Times
• Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) Freedom Project PAC raised $364,500 from lobbyists, corporate executives, a Native American tribe, and several PACs in February, the first full month where Boehner held the position of Speaker. Politico
• In addition to signing onto DC-based lobbying firm Prime Policy Group as vice chairman in January, former Rep. John Tanner (D-TN) is now signing onto Tennessee-based law firm Miller & Martin as counsel. Roll Call $
• The Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge to federal campaign finance restrictions brought by former Louisiana Rep. Anh Cao and the Republican National Committee. Washington Times
• Sen. McCaskill (D-MO) acknowledged that she and her husband failed to pay property taxes on a private airplane that she used for official Senate travel, and promised to immediately repay the taxes, totaling $287,000. Roll Call $
• In testimony before a House panel, the Government Accountability Office asserted that the office brings $87 worth of value in oversight for every $1 invested. Project on Government Oversight

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/22:

• None. House and Senate not in session.

Relevant bills introduced:

• None. House and Senate not in session.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/22:

• A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Improving Government Performance. The Brookings Institution. 8:30am-1:00pm. Falk Auditorium. 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, DC.
• Restoring Balance to the Regulatory Process. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 9:00-1:00pm. Herman Lay Room. 1615 H Street, NW. Washington, DC.
• A Government Thumb on the Election Scale? CATO Institute. 4:00pm. 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, DC.

Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

• Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including details of how the earmark ban is being fudged by lawmakers, news that House staff saw the redesigned House website, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Nicko Margolies announced the Sunshine Week panel hosted by OpenTheGovernment.org and the Center for American Progress that Sunlight Labs director Tom Lee spoke on the role of technology in advancing open government. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Scott Stadum highlighted Sunlight’s new Tumblr, Sunlight’s GoViz Blog, as his Tool for Transparency of the week. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal pointed to the fact Citizen’s Ynited has led to the proliferation of “social action” nonprofits, creating a sense of a permanent campaign. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal announced the new Super PAC “Stop Public Unions Now”, created in the wake of the Wisconsin public employee union collective bargaining debate. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal reported that the vote to defund NPR without providing 72 hours for the public to review violated a pledge by Speaker Boehner to require every bill be made available for at least 72 hours online and in public. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal included a video of the many times that Speaker Boehner pledged 72 hours of public review for all bills. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Zubedah Nanfuka included the weekly roundup of transparency bloggers highlighting bloggers from Illinois, Hawaii, Georgia, and Virginia. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal reported on the court case in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, over whether public records should be readily available and included a court transcript where a county worker spends ten pages worth of transcript refusing to state that he knows what a photocopier is. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Tom Lee blogged on what’s going on in Sunlight Labs, highlighting Datajam, Jeremy’s many django projects, and all the many other projects constantly happening in Labs. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
• Tom Lee reported on the difficulty of defining “high value data”, as influenced by his Sunshine Week panel on transparency and open government. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
• Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (Transparency Caucus Blog)

Here is Monday’s look at the week’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

• After the disaster in Japan, energy companies in the United States are urging lawmakers to visit their local nuclear power plants to find reassurance that the plants are safe and capable of withstanding disasters. Roll Call $
• A new OMB Watch report provides an in-depth analysis of the transparency of the Obama Administration. OMB Watch
• The Associated Press says that despite promises of dedication to transparency from the Obama Administration, the AP still “grapples with many of the same frustrating roadblocks and head-scratching inconsistencies” as during the Bush Administration. Associated Press
• Two SEC congressional overseers are questioning the impartiality and accuracy of a report compiled by the Boston Consulting Group and released last week by SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro. Washington Post
• A Roll Call analysis found that over a dozen current Members failed to include personal loans that they contributed to their campaigns on their financial disclosure reports. Roll Call $
• The Pentagon has proposed amending federal regulations to endorse using more contracts with price ceilings in an attempt to cut costs. Washington Post
• The America Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council honored seven of the most innovative federal Information Technology programs during the annual Excellence.Gov Awards luncheon last week. Federal Computer Week
• Politicians have begun turning to Quora, testing the question and answer site for its usefulness in the political realm. Tech President
• Opinion: John Dearie opines that the key to successfully reforming the Federal Reserve is to broaden its mandate, not narrow it. Politico

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/21-3/25:

• None. House and Senate not in session.

Relevant bills introduced:

• None. House and Senate not in session.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/21-3/25:

• A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Improving Government Performance. The Brookings Institution. Tues. 3/22/2011. 8:30am-1:00pm. Falk Auditorium. 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, DC.
• Restoring Balance to the Regulatory Process. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Tues. 3/22/2011. 9:00-1:00pm. Herman Lay Room. 1615 H Street, NW. Washington, DC.
• A Government Thumb on the Election Scale? CATO Institute. Tues. 3/22/2011. 4:00pm. 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, DC.
• Public Sector Change Management: A process oriented perspective. George Mason School of Public Policy. Wed. 3/23/2011. 12:00-1:00pm. Arlington Campus. Founders Hall, Room 317. 3351 Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA.
• Online News Association’s March meeting. The Sunlight Foundation. Wed. 3/23/2011. 7:00-9:00pm. Suite 300. 1818 N St., NW. Washington, DC.
• Meeting Federal Accountability Standards with Business Intelligence. Government Executive. Thurs. 3/24/2011. 2:00pm. Webinar.
• Recent Campaign Finance Decisions and Electoral Impact. Georgetown Election Law Society. Thurs. 3/24. 12:30-1:30pm. 12th floor of the Gewirz Building. Georgetown Law campus. 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW. Washington, DC.
• Inside Official Washington – Office of Government Ethics. American University Washington College of Law. Fri. 3/25/2011. 10:00am-12:00pm.

Here is Friday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

• After passing another continuing resolution to keep the government running for another three weeks, Congress approved taking a ten-day vacation. Washington Times
• Witnesses told a House panel that federal agency practices are hindering the Obama Administration’s ability to achieve its goal of full compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Government Executive
• David Powner, the Government Accountability Office’s Director of IT Management, told a House panel that almost 40 percent of the government’s 800 IT spending programs need additional oversight. Federal Computer Week
• Canada just launched an open data portal, data.gc.ca. An open government activist finds that while this is a good start, the available data is limited, and the license on the site prohibits anyone from using the data in a way that could tarnish Canada’s reputation. Eaves.ca
• In honor of Sunshine Week, the White House has launched WhiteHouse.gov/GoodGovernment, a one-stop-shop for all the White House’s open government tools. TechPresident
• House.gov is also undergoing a redesign in an attempt to make the website more user-friendly. Roll Call $
• The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizen’s United has opened the door to numerous other lawsuits targeted at other campaign finance regulations. Politico
• The Chief Human Capital Officers Council has formed a working group to examine ways to improve performance accountability without changing laws, regulations, or contracts. Union leaders are insisting that labor leaders be included in the working group. Federal Times
• The tax code has led to an evolution in the “permanent campaign” cycle where groups – without disclosing their donors – can keep political advertisements on the air regardless of whether a campaign is officially in progress or not. Politico
• The Government Printing Office is considering changing its name to reflect its modern role in the digital age. Roll Call $
• Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is investigating allegations that D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray paid a failed mayoral primary candidate to attack then-Mayor Adrian Fenty. The Hill/Roll Call $

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/18:

• None.

Relevant bills introduced:

• S. 627. A bill to establish the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays; to the Committee on the Judiciary
• S. 650. A bill to require greater transparency concerning the criteria used to grant waivers to the job-killing health care law and to ensure that applications for such waivers are treated in a fair and consistent manner, irrespective of the applicant’s political contributions or association with a labor union, a health plan provided for under a collective bargaining agreement, or another organized labor group; to the Committee on Finance.
• H.R. 1144. A bill to increase the transparency of the Federal Government, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• H.R. 1184. A bill to require greater transparency concerning the criteria used to grant waivers to the job-killing health care law and to ensure that applications for such waivers are treated in a fair and consistent manner, irrespective of the applicant’s political contributions or association with a labor union, a health plan provided for under a collective bargaining agreement, or another organized labor group; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/18:

• Sunshine Week 2011 – The Road Forward on Open Government. Friday 3/18. 12:00-1:30pm. 1333 H St., NW, 10th Floor. Washington, DC 20005.

Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

• Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including news on the revolving door for the Justice Department and the Obama administration as well as news that chiefs of staff to House Democratic leaders are a main attraction for an “after party” fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Daniel Schuman blogged on the recent Advisory Committee on Transparency event and included links to many resources discussed at the panel. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Paul Blumenthal reported on the first contributions made by Koch Industries’ political action committee for the 2012 election cycle. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
• Joshua Hatch announced the Sunlight Live coverage of the Committee on Natural Resources hearing on gas prices and U.S. jobs. (Sunlight Reporting Group)
• Nancy Watzman examined how big business is seeking an exemption from the derivatives regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank financial law. (Sunlight Reporting Group)
• Keenan Steiner detailed the upcoming fundraisers around March Madness. (Party Time Blog)
• Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (Transparency Caucus Blog)

Here is Thursday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

• The House is planning to vote on a bill that would cut funding for National Public Radio today, seemingly violating Speaker Boehner’s pledge to make all bills available online for 72 hours before voting. Sunlight Foundation
• Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, accused the Department of Homeland Security of inappropriately demoting a senior employee who privately complained to the inspector general that political appointees were inappropriately interfering with FOIA requests. Associated Press
• The numerous regulations involved in implementing health care and Wall Street reform has opened the door to a flurry of lobbying activity. Politico
• Over 150 fundraising parties are scheduled this week for members on both sides of the aisle. Washington Times
• Georgia passed a new bill this week redefining the term “lobbyist” to include a threshold where someone is not considered a lobbyist until ten percent of his or her working hours are spent on lobbying activities. Lobby Comply Blog
• The Department of Justice released FOIA.gov in conjunction with Sunshine Week to provide detailed information about agencies’ FOIA activities. The Interior Department’s Inspector General has one of the worst backlogs of the department. Project on Government Oversight
• Some lawmakers continue to solicit earmark requests from constituents, saying they will seek other ways of obtaining funding for pet projects. The Hill
• The Department of Defense has been hiring contractors to perform oversight functions on other contractors. Truthout
• Rep. Issa has also subpoenaed a former senior SEC official who investigated the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme but who had a conflict of interest due to having an account with Madoff. Politico
• According to a recent assessment by U.S. PIRG that graded states on their spending transparency, nine states got an A or a B, 31 received a C, and ten received an F. Government Technology

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/17:

Senate

• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 10:00am. An oversight hearing to examine the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), focusing on evaluating returns on taxpayer investment. Senate Dirksen Building 538.

House

• Oversight and Government Reform. 9:30am. On oversight of the Freedom of Information Act. Rayburn House Office Building 2154.

Relevant bills introduced:

• S. 602. A bill to require regulatory reform; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
• H.R. 1111. A bill to rescind $45 billion of unobligated discretionary appropriations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Appropriations.
• H.R. 1121. A bill to replace the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection with a five person Commission; to the Committee on Financial Services.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/17:

• None.

Here is Wednesday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

• The Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear energy industry’s loudest voice in Washington, spent $3.76 lobbying as well as $323,000 through its political action committee on 134 House and 30 Senate candidates during the last election cycle. Politico
• Labor unions across the country are using the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assasination to rally for the right to collectively bargain. The Hill
• Veteran groups are lobbying Congress to prevent military benefits from being cut. The Hill
• David H. Stevens is stepping down from his position as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration and becoming the next chief executive of the Mortgage Bankers Association. The Wall Street Journal
• Open government advocates and experts are telling Congress that FOIA suffers from a lack of usability due to agency backlogs and lack of compliance. The Associated Press
• President Obama is accepting an award for his commitment to transparency and open government today at the While House in conjunction with Sunshine Week. Politico
• Missouri Republicans have accused Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) of improperly using taxpayer funds to pay for an airplane trip to a political event. Politico
• Chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL), accused his predecessor, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), of violating House rules when she suspended two staff lawyers during an investigation into alleged misconduct by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). The Washington Post
• Payday lenders more than doubled their expenditures on federal lobbying from 2009 to 2010, advocating against Congressional attempts to limit short-term loan interest rates as well as against increased regulation by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Center for Public Integrity
• The Government Accountability Office’s recently released report on government waste and agency duplication had 90,277 visits in the first week after its release, over three times the visits of the next best-read item on GAO’s website, demonstrating the level of concern with overspending. Washington Times
• The Navy has ceased work with a Georgia contracting company accused of participating in a kickback scheme abusing Navy funds. Federal Times
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation is using crowdsourcing to determine what exactly is in the thousands of pages they are receiving in response to FOIA requests by seeking volunteers to review the voluminous documents. Boing Boing
• Opinion: Norman Ornstein writes that serious, thoughtful oversight hearings are needed, not extravagant rhetoric from both sides of the aisle. Roll Call $

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/16:

• None.

Relevant bills introduced:

Senate

• S. 586. A bill to amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to apply whistleblower protections available to certain executive branch employees to legislative branch employees, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

House

• H.R. 1081. A bill to delay the implementation of proposed or final rules issued under the authority of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act relating to the reasonable and proportional fees and rules for electronic debit transactions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Financial Services.
• H.R. 1082. A bill to amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to provide a registration exemption for private equity fund advisers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Financial Services.
• H.R. 1088. A bill to prohibit any increase in the amount established for the Members’ Representational Allowance during a period of high unemployment and public debt; to the Committee on House Administration.
• H.R. 1094. A bill to abolish the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks, to repeal the Federal Reserve Act, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Financial Services.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/16:

• Technology, Classification, Declassification, and the Public Interest. Public Interest Declassification Board. 3:00-4:30pm. Newseum. 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Washington D.C., DC 20001.