Following a nonpartisan study, Texas lawmakers from both political parties are calling on the Obama administration to provide the public with better access to information collected by the federal government.
A report Monday by the liberal Center for Effective Government found that only four of the 15 federal agencies that receive the most requests for public information deserved a “B,” none deserved an “A” and most of the reset flunked.
“The American people deserve openness and accountability from their government. The [group's] report reveals that the Obama Administration, despite all of its promises, is not transparent and that big, bloated government is inefficient and unresponsive,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, in an emailed statement.
Sessions, who heads the House Rules Committee, is former head of the National Republican Congressional Committee and one of the most powerful figures in the Republican House majority.
“This administration has made a habit of selectively enforcing the law and it is time that it be held responsible for their actions. Republicans have worked to make the House of Representatives more open and accessible to every American and will continue to fight to hold the Administration to the same standard,” said Sessions.
Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, said the report shows that federal agencies are not doing their job. He urged the U.S. Senate to pass Freedom of Information Act reforms that the House approved unanimously last month.
