On Thursday (May 13), the House Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Subcommittee will be marking-up the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government appropriations bill. During this mark-up, an effort will be made to repeal the data access law.
The law requires that scientific data used to support federal regulation must be made available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. The law stands for open government -- government in the sunshine. The law is aimed at stopping the use of 'secret science' to regulate taxpayers -- especially when taxpayers funded the science to start with.
Click here for an example of the importance of the law and here for the first FOIA request made under the new law.
Supposedly the amendment will be introduced by Reps. David E. Price (D-N.C.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va) -- although as of noontime today Wolf's office claimed no knowledge of the amendment.
Not coincidently, the American Association for the Advancement of Science -- on behalf of the science establishment that seeks to avoid public scrutiny and whose motto apparently is "Take the money and run" -- issued a statement urging repeal of the law.
Please contact (e-mail or call) the subcommittee member of your choice. Urge them to oppose the effort to repeal the data access law. Tell the member a vote for the amendment is a vote for secret government. You can also call the committee directly at 202-225-5834.
Committee member Majority
Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), 202-225-2542 Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), 202-225-5136
Michael P. Forbes (R- N.Y.), 202-225-3826
Anne Meagher Northrup (R- Ky.), 202-225-5401
Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), 202-225-4404
John E. Sununu (R- N.H.), 202-225-5456
John E. Peterson, R- Pa.), 202-225-5121
Minority
Steny H. Hoyer D- Md.), 202-225-4131
Carrie Meek (D- Fla.), 202-225-4506
David E. Price (D- N.C.), 202-225-1784
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D- Calif.), 202-225-1766
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