Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/25/11

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:

  • WhiteHouse.gov will be offering visual aids during President Obama’s State of the Union this evening. (Tech President)
  • Democratic Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Tom Harkin of Iowa are unsatisfied with the scaled down rules package proposed by Senate leaders. They are instead pushing for the adoption of their proposal by a simple majority of 51 senators rather than the usual 67 required for rules changes, using a legislative tool known as the constitutional option. (Politico)
  • The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found that George W. Bush administration officials likely violated the federal Hatch Act during the 2006 election cycle, namely by having on-duty staff members coordinate the official travel of political appointees in the Bush administration to assist in Republican election campaigns. (Roll Call $)(Washington Post)
  • Reps. Darrell Issa and Elijah Cummings are in disagreement about Cummings’ claims that Issa is withholding documents from the minority and issuing subpoenas unilaterally. (Politico)(Government Executive)
  • GOP Freshman Rep. David Rivera (FL) is facing ethical investigations into his finances and campaign records. (Politico)
  • Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has amended 13 years worth of disclosure reports to include his wife’s income. He contends that he did not originally include her information based on a misunderstanding of the disclosure directions. (Politico)(New York Times)
  • The Internal Revenue Service has come out with a new free phone application, IRS2Go, which allows taxpayers to track their tax refunds and get tax tips from the IRS. (Washington Times)
  • Alaska has launched AKredistricting.org, joining other states who are trying to use online tools to make their redistricting processes more transparent. (Tech President)
  • THOMAS is an incredibly valuable tool, but there are areas of information that other sites use and enhance. (Library of Congress blog)
  • The economics of E-government may not be as simple as they seem. While online services may save government money and even create new revenue streams, they also may generate new costs. (Government Technology)
  • Carol M. Browner, President Barack Obamas top energy and environmental adviser, is leaving the White House. (Politico)
  • Republican former Sen. George Allen has officially decided to make a play for his old Virginia seat, potentially running against Democratic Sen. Jim Webb. (Washington times)
  • Whistleblowers and the Obama administration are being credited with helping federal agents recover $2.5 billion from health care fraud judgments. (Federal Times)
  • The Obama administration is strongly opposed to GOP legislation that would end federal funding of presidential campaigns. (The Hill)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/25:

House
  • Agriculture Full Committee. On organizing the committee for the 112th Congress. 2:00pm. 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
  • Education and the Workforce Full Committee. On organizing the committee for the 112th Congress. 10:30am. 2175 Rayburn House Office Building.
  • Financial Services Full Committee. On organizing the committee for the 112th Congress. 10:30am. 2128 Rayburn House Office Building.
  • Oversight and Government Reform Full Committee. On organizing the committee for the 112th Congress. 9:30am. HVC 210 Capitol.
  • Rules Full Committee. On H.R. 359 – To reduce Federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions. 10:00am. H-313 Capitol.
Senate
  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.R. 402. A bill to facilitate efficient investments and financing of infrastructure projects and new job creation through the establishment of a National Infrastructure Development Bank, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 407. A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to determine and disclose the costs incurred in taking a Member, officer, or employee of Congress on a trip outside the United States so that such costs may be included in any report the Member, officer, or employee is required to file with respect to the trip under applicable law or rules of the House of Representatives or Senate; to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 408. A bill to reduce Federal spending by $2.5 trillion through fiscal year 2021; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, the Budget, Rules, Appropriations, Agriculture, House Administration, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Financial Services, the Judiciary, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.J. Res. 22. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to prohibit the United States from owning stock in corporations; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/25:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/24/11

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:

  • Get a look at the 2010 revenues for major lobbying groups as compared to their 2009 revenues. (The Hill)
  • A new government database that tracks contractor misconduct and performance, previously available only to federal officials, is expected to be made public by April 15. (Government Executive)
  • While the Senate is still far from agreement on how to change filibuster rules, there has been some bipartisan cooperation in working towards ending secret holds and streamlining the confirmation process. (Politico)
  • The Senate remains in limbo as Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell continue to be unable to come to an agreement about committee ratios. (Roll Call $)
  • Roll Call identified ten Members to watch in the 112th Congress including Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Fred Upton (R-MI) as well as Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Patty Murray (D-WA). (Roll Call $)
  • Consumer Watchdog asked Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) to bring Google CEO Eric Schmidt before the Oversight committee to investigate whether Google has benefited inappropriately from ties to the administration. (Politico)
  • Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committees National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, hopes to cut costs by decreasing the number of advisory committees. (Federal Computer Week)
  • As the new chairman of the Judiciary Commitee’s Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet panel, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) plans to target net neutrality, patent reform and copyright enforcement. (Politico)
  • NASA, the White House, and the Army get top scores for digital media competence, while the General Services Administration is challenged and Interior and Commerce departments are feeble, according to a recent study. (Federal Computer Week)
  • The Securities and Exchange Commission has been remiss in posting reports by its inspector general that probe employee behavior in such areas as conflicts of interest, misuse of travel funds and retaliation against whistleblowers. (Government Executive)
  • Daniel Mulhollan, director of the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, will retire in April. (Roll Call $)
  • Melanie Sloan has changed her mind and decided to remain Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington rather than join Clinton administration lawyer Lanny Davis in a private law firm. (Roll Call $)
  • Politico’s daily debate today focuses on the conflict surrounding Scalia’s potential conflict of interest caused by his choice to speak at a Tea Party Caucus event. (Politico)
  • Talk radio is having a huge impact on the way Congress operates based on how many listeners hear the message of major radio personalities. (Roll Call $)
  • Opinion: Rep. Henry Waxman claims that if done correctly, congressional oversight can improve the way all levels of government operate. (Politico)
  • Opinion: Sen. Mike Enzi suggests that ending the filibuster would be a serious blow to the democratic process. (Politico)
  • Opinion: Sen. Claire McCaskill emphasizes the importance of getting rid of secret holds. (Huffington Post)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/24-1/28:

House
  • Mon. 1/24, 4:00pm. Judiciary. Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee on the REINS Act, promoting jobs and expanding freedom by reducing regulation. 2141 Rayburn House Office Building.
Senate
  • Wed. 1/26, 10:00am. Judiciary. Hearings to examine protecting American taxpayers, focusing on accomplishments and ongoing challenges in the fight against fraud.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/24-1/28:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/20/11

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:

  • House leaders reappointed the Office of Congressional Ethics eight-member board with former Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) as chairman. (Roll Call $)(Politico)
  • The Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate just released the first listings in an interactive tracking tool that will allow the public to explore where outgoing senators and representatives from the 111th Congress are now employed. (Open Secrets)
  • The Supreme Court heard arguments for Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T Inc. on Wednesday where the major issue is whether corporations have personal privacy rights and can keep documents from being released due to these rights. (The New York Times)(Project on Government Oversight)
  • Common Cause filed a petition with the Justice Department advocating for an investigate into potential conflicts of interest on the part of Justices Scalia and Thomas when hearing campaign finance cases such as Citizens United. (New York Times)
  • Top staff for House and Senate Republicans met in a closed-door session with energy industry interests (thought to include the American Petroleum Institute, National Mining Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce) to discuss a strategy for addressing EPA climate regulations. (Politico)
  • House Republicans plan to use Twitter and YouTube to get citizens engaged with actual policy making decisions by introducing more programs such as YouCut. (Politico)
  • Former Rep. Vic Fazio advises new members of Congress to develop relationships and learn from lobbyists. (Politico)
  • Reports from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) are not posted anywhere online but were obtained through a FOIA request and are now being offered by the Project on Government Oversight. (Project on Government Oversight)
  • The House Administration Committee has decided to allow Members to use their representational allowance for security upgrades in their district offices as long as they obtain clearance from the House Sergeant-at-Arm. (Roll Call $)
  • The Office of Personnel Management reminds agencies that President Obama wants agency managers to discuss issues with labor-management partnership councils before making decisions on their own. (Federal Times)
  • Seven retired admirals and generals hired as military consultants have chosen to leave their advisory roles instead of complying with new regulations requiring them to divulge outside income to avoid potential conflicts of interest. (Federal Times)(USA Today)
  • A video is available of a panel of leading thinkers exploring WikiLeaks and how it matters in terms of information, security, first amendment rights, and innovation. (The Real News)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/20:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.R. 339. A bill to deem any adjournment of the House of Representatives which is in effect on the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held during a Congress to be adjournment sine die, and to amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for automatic continuing appropriations if a regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year does not become law before the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held during such fiscal year; to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H. Res. 39. A resolution electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives; considered and agreed to.
  • H. Res. 42. A resolution electing certain Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives; considered and agreed to.
  • H. Res. 45. A resolution amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to encourage bipartisan amendments; to the Committee on Rules.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/20:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/19/11

Here is Wednesday’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 announcingsubcommittee leaders, (Federal Times) Rep. Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, will hold his first hearing on the foreclosure crisis and TARP. (Politico)
  • Ranking Member of the Oversight committee, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), sent a letter urging Chairman Issa to heed President Obama’s call to elevate political discourse out of the muck and to avoid engaging in “silly” investigative probes. (The Hill)
  • The Senate will likely address filibuster reform next week as part of a rules reform package suggested by Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin, Tom Udall, and Jeff Merkley. (Politico)
  • President Barack Obama instructed federal agencies to modernize and improve thetransparency of theirregulation of industry and commerce,requiring among other things thatagenciespublish their rulemaking and enforcement actions on the Internet and to weed out outdated and unneeded rules. (Federal Computer Week)
  • Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is expected to join Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) in announcing retirement. (The Hill)(Politico)
  • House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) do not plan to offer any early endorsements for the 2012 presidential campaign. (Politico)
  • A new Justice Department unit, the Professional Misconduct Review Unit, will investigate allegations of misconduct by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility. (Washington Post)
  • The General Services Administration has replaced Webcontent.gov with HowTo.gov to improve customer service across the federal government. (Federal Times)
  • The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a gubernatorial election must be held this year to fill the remainder of Sen. Joe Manchin’s term, stating that the constitution was not meant to allow an acting Governor – one not elected to the position – to hold it for over a year. (Politico)
  • Republicans suggest that the separation of checks and balances has become a modern and slightly incorrect division of labor where Congress has forgotten that it, too, needs to evaluate the constitutionality of laws. (Washington Times)
  • Government officials discuss the benefits and difficulties introduced by social media, including the danger of rumors spreading like rapid fire and the necessity of having different voices on social media platforms so that citizens feel like they are engaging in a conversation, not just getting a press release in a different format. (Government Executives)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/19:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.J. Res. 20. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the number of consecutive terms that a Member of Congress may serve; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • H. Res. 37. A resolution electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives; considered and agreed to.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/19:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/14/11

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:

  • Bruce Reed will become Vice President Joe Biden’s chief of staff. (Politico)(Roll Call $)
  • A new white paper from the Cornell Law School posits that federal agencies are not likely to be successful in establishing effective and transparent online rulemaking programs until they use Web 2.0 technologies such as social media. (Federal Computer Week)
  • The Pentagon deleted its social media office, claiming that it is better to have all press staff familiar with how to use outlets such as Twitter and Facebook rather than just have one office solely dedicated to using the outlets. (Wired)
  • A new study from the Wesleyan Media Project found that while outside groups spent slightly more on advertisements in House and Senate races in the 2010 cycle relative to the total amount invested in the campaign, their contributions were only a small increase from 2000. (Politico)
  • The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether banks and private-equity firms violated bribery laws in their dealings with sovereign-wealth funds. (The Wall Street Journal)
  • Former Hill staffer Ngozi Pole’s criminal trial regarding allegations that heof stole tens of thousands of dollars in the form of unauthorized pay increases from the office of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) began yesterday. (Roll Call $)
  • Aaron Brauer-Rieke, a fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology, discusses the concerns and hopes raised by the Obama Administration’s proposed online identity plan. (Tech President)
  • Next Gov evaluates the Obama Administration’s efforts to increase transparency, examining why the public’s trust in government does not seem to be increasing. (Next Gov)
  • Treasury secretary Timothy Geithnerdiscusses tax reform with corporate chief financial officers (The Hill) as the House prepares to address tax reform, with hearings in the Ways and Means committee scheduled for next week. (Politico)
  • Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) will not seek re-election in 2012. (Washington Times)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/14:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.R. 4. A bill to repeal the expansion of information reporting requirements for payments of $600 or more to corporations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
  • H.R. 268. A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reduce the limit on the amount of certain contributions which may be made to a candidate with respect to an election for Federal office; to the Committee on House Administration.
  • H.R. 269. A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit the conversion of leadership PAC funds to personal use; to the Committee on House Administration.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/14:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/10/11

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:

  • Rep. Issa promised to publicly release responses he receives from 150 companies, trade groups, and think tanks he asked to come up with wish lists of regulations they would like changed. (The Hill)
  • Senate Democrats have introduced a package of rules reforms that would limit the minority partys ability to slow or block controversial legislation. The vote has been postponed until late January to give the parties time to work out differences. (The Hill)
  • Lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti was sentenced to 27 months in prison for making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations and lying to the Federal Election Commission. (The Hill)
  • The Center for Responsive Politics has updated its congressional personal finances database to include the most recent reports from the 96 new lawmakers, covering their holdings in calendar year 2009. (Open Secrets)
  • Blue Dog Democrats are considering strategies for the 112th Congress. (Roll Call $)
  • Senate Democratic leaders last week shelved a caucus proposal that might have stripped some committee chairmen of their gavels by removing the seniority system. (Roll Call $)
  • Republican leaders have refused to reorganize House Appropriations Committee staff. (Washington Times)
  • States are not expected to receive substantial government financial aid in the 112th Congress. (Washington Times)
  • The Food and Drug Administration is undertaking 19 new actions and considering five additional proposed actions as part of its broad effort to improve transparency to regulated industries. (Federal Computer Week)
  • White House issued a memo reiterating to federal agencies its support for the “technology neutrality” approach to government IT procurement, one that encourages the consideration of tech without biases against open-source options. (Tech President)
  • The use of Twitter (and potentially other social media outlets) during a campaign becomes tricky after a successful election. (Tech President)
  • Washington state governor is turning to technology as part of her plan to save the state $32 million over the next four years. (Government Technology)
  • A new report has shown that army procurement officials failed to properly manage a key support contract for contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, awarding millions of dollars of work without competition and disclosing bidders’ proprietary information without their knowledge or consent. (Government Executive)
  • The Government Accountability Project is working with NPR to identify which senator placed the secret hold that killed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act on the last day of the 111th Congress. (Government Accountability Project)
  • During the first week of the new Congress, several prominent outgoing lawmakers announced plans to join high-profile law and lobby firms in the District, staffers from both sides of the aisle announced plans to move into the private sector, and some K Streeters departed firms to return to the Hill. (The Washington Post)
  • Congressional partisan divides became clear starting the first week of the new Congress with the parties disagreeing over rule changes. (National Journal)
  • Public Integrity evaluates the chairs of influential Senate committees, assessing revolving door ties, earmark requests, and identifying top PAC contributors. (Public Integrity)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/10-1/14:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.R. 213. A bill to establish a moratorium on regulatory rulemaking actions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 214. A bill to establish a Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis, to require the periodic review and automatic termination of Federal regulations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 236. A bill to provide that rates of pay for Members of Congress shall not be adjusted under section 601(a)(2) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 in the year following any fiscal year in which outlays of the United States exceeded receipts of the United States; to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 252. A bill to require an annual report on Federal funds distributed by Federal agencies through grant programs, formula programs, or otherwise, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/10-1/14:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/7/11

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:

  • The new government strategy from the Executive Office of the President to prevent leaks was leaked to the press. (Tech Dirt)
  • Two Republicans, incumbent Pete Sessions of Texas and freshman Mike Fitzpatrick, missed Wednesday’s swearing ceremony because they were at a fundraiserin the Capitol Visitors Center. (Huffington Post) Fitzpatrick claimed it was not a fundraiser. (Roll Call $)
  • Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and 28 other House Republicans introduced legislation to do away with the informal, paid advisers President Obama has employed over the past two years. (The Hill)
  • A group of junior Democratic senators are pushing for committee chairmen to stand for election at the beginning of each Congress, a requirement that has not been in effect for years. (The Hill)
  • President Obama has chosen William Daley to be his new chief of staff, elevating interim chief Pete Rouse to the role of councilor to the president. (The Hill) Gene Sperling will serve as director of the national economic council. (The Hill)
  • Rep. Gabrielle Giffords introduced a measure that would stop members of Congress from receiving an automatic pay raise in 2012. It would also reduce the salaries of lawmakers by 5 percent in the 113th Congress the next time a pay reduction would be possible. (The Hill)
  • Minority Whip Steny Hoyer introduced a resolution Thursday that would restore the Delegates and Resident Commissioners right to vote in the House Committee of the Whole. (Roll Call $)
  • In his scramble Thursday to address votes taken by Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) before they were sworn in to the 112th Congress, Rules Chairman David Dreier proposed nullifying the votes. (Roll Call $)
  • The House agreed Thursday to a resolution that cuts all committee, leadership and Member office budgets by 5 percent and slices 9 percent off the Appropriations Committee budget. (Roll Call $)
  • Filibuster reform and the elimination of secret holds are possibilities under consideration in the new Congress. (Politico)
  • Tax reform made its way up the list of Senate priorities on Thursday, with both Senate leaders on board with examining the code. (Politico)
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday rolled out a series of cuts and efficiencies he hopes will preempt more aggressive cost-cutting from Congress, making the case that he should control how the Pentagon slims down and reshapes itself in the dawning era of slimmer budgets. (Politico)(Federal Times)
  • A former CIA operations officer was arrested in St. Louis today on a 10-count indictment for allegedly disclosing national defense information. (Politico)
  • The House Republican Conference gives members strict communication and messaging instructions for the first week of the 112th. (Next Gov)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/7:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.R. 60. A bill to repeal the expansion of information reporting requirements for payments of $600 or more to corporations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
  • H.R. 61. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to require Federal employees to use coach-class air travel in the United States except in limited circumstances, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  • H.R. 59. A bill to define advisors often characterized as Czars and to provide that appropriated funds may not be used to pay for any salaries and expenses associated with such advisors; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  • H.R. 87. A bill to repeal the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, the Budget, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  • H.R. 122. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to limit the circumstances in which official time may be used by a Federal employee; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  • H.R. 124. A bill to provide that rates of pay for Members of Congress shall not be adjusted under section 601(a)(2) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 in the year following any fiscal year in which outlays of the United States exceed receipts of the United States; to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/7:

  • None.
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/5/11

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 House Republican Conference approved the proposed rules package for the 112th Congress, which will be offered today as H.Res. 5. (House Committee on Rules) The rules have already had one reversal – the GOPvoted to peel back a requirement that would have required them to publicly post committee attendance. (Politico)
  • Incoming Speaker Boehner announced that beginning at noon on Wednesday Congress will be broadcast live on Facebook for the first time ever. (CNN) Some say this move symbolizes that the new House will be a “more participatory, two-way institution.” (Tech President)
  • The House plans to vote Thursday on a resolution cutting House office expenses by 5 percent. (The Hill)
  • House Republicans are backing away from their pledge to cut $100 billion from the federal budget. (The Hill)(The New York Times)
  • A play by play description of what the first day of a new Congress typically entails. (The Hill)
  • Senate Democratic leaders announced their new communications structure led by Sen. Charles Schumer that will drive the Conferences messaging for the 112th Congress. (Roll Call $)
  • The House Ethics Committee will move into new office space in the 112th Congress with a new chairman and a new official name, but it still might need to address some old issues. (Roll Call $)
  • Retiring Sen. Kit Bond is headed to K St. as a partner at the law firm of Thompson Coburn. (Roll Call $)
  • As the 111th Congress ended Senate Republicans and Democrats cut a deal to approve 19 of the presidents nominees, but they adjourned without voting to confirm 19 others, leaving those seats still unfilled. (Politico)
  • Billions of dollars in federal highway funding for thousands of projects across the country has never even been spent – turning into orphan earmarks caught up in red tape for years, according to a report. (Politico)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/5:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/5:

  • None.
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 1/4/11

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:

  • Filibuster reform will be addressed later in January, not on Wednesday.(The Hill). Democrats are struggling to unite behind a single filibuster reform plan. (Politico)
  • The House Ethics Committee cited insufficient evidence and closed an investigation Friday into whether six lawmakers misused official travel funds. (Roll Call $)
  • House Republicans have scheduled the vote for Speaker for early Wednesday afternoon. (Roll Call $)
  • Incoming Minority Whip Steny Hoyer has been considering forming an intra-Caucus task force to help Democratic Members improve their floor strategy as they transition back into the minority. (Roll Call $)
  • Incoming Speaker Boehner announced that he will promote House Deputy General Counsel Kerry Kircher to the position of House General Counsel. (Roll Call $)
  • Chairman Issa also said he would lead six major investigations in the first three months of the year, an ambitious goal by conventional standards. (Washington Post)
  • White House press secretary Robert Gibbs hosted a Twitter question and answer session yesterday. (Next Gov)
  • Doctors who participate in Health and Human Services Department’s Medicare and Medicaid electronic-health records incentive programs andadopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records will receive certain benefits. (Next Gov)
  • Next Gov identifies the best and worst federal IT initiatives of 2010, including the strategy for shifting to cloud computing and the move to open source software as best initiatives while a freeze on contractor work and the suspension of federal contractor GTSI Corp. were among the worst. (Next Gov)
  • According to the Defense Department Inspector General, the Navy did not validate invoices worth $329.3 million that Northrop Grumman Corp. submitted for development of a remotely piloted aircraft the service will use to conduct high-altitude ocean reconnaissance. (Next Gov)
  • A USPS Inspector General audit found that the Postal Service has frequently failed to justify millions of dollars worth of “workshare discounts” given to certain mailers. (Federal Times)
  • A report released by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general indicates that FEMA has not recovered ~$643 million in federal disaster relief funds improperly distributed to ~160,000 victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. (Washington Post)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/4:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None. Congress is not is session until the first session of the 112th Congress on Wed. 1/5.

Transparency events scheduled for 1/4:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 12/22/10

Here is Wednesday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. This will be the last review until the new year. Happy holidays!

News Roundup:

  • According to a draft of the incoming majority’s rules package, the GOP-led House has included new transparency requirements for committees and legislation, expanded term limits for Committee chairmen and provided for a reading of the Constitution on the House floor on the second day of the 112th Congress. (Roll Call$)(Politico)
  • Incoming House Speaker John Boehner will retain the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) when the GOP takes control of Congress, even though he opposed its creation. (The Hill)
  • Though top House staffers average salaries adjusted for inflation have not increased for two decades and comparable positions in the private sector pay much more, Member offices report few to no problems with turnover among senior staffers, according to a new study. (Roll Call $)(New York Times)(Politico)
  • The House approved a bill Dec. 21 that will force agencies to prioritize programs and report quarterly on progress in reducing redundant programs and increasing efficiency. (Federal Times)
  • Ethics watchdogs accuse beer and wine wholesalers of timing their campaign donations to reward legislators sponsoring a bill they care about. (Politico)
  • House lawmakers approved a last-minute measure extending current levels of government funding through March 4. (The Hill)(Politico)
  • Texas gained four new House seats under the numbers released by the Census Bureau on Tuesday, and Democrats and Republicans alike expect a struggle that will be decided in the courts. (The Hill)
  • The census shows a significant shift of seats to the South and West. (Roll Call $)(Politico)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 12/22:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • S. 4050. A bill to amend the Classified Information Procedures Act to improve the protection of classified information and for other purposes.

Transparency events scheduled for 12/22:

  • None.