Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: Public Service Spotlight Mike Quigley

The following article appeared on the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington blog on May 12, 2014. A link to the article can be found here.

While the Obama administration has repeatedly failed to follow through on its promise to be the most transparent administration in history, Americans can take comfort in knowing that on Capitol Hill, some members of Congress take seriously the importance of an open government. For living up his billing as co-chairman of the House’s Congressional Transparency Caucus, we award our Public Service Spotlight to Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL).

In March, Rep. Quigley reintroduced the comprehensive Transparency in Government Act, which would make all three branches of government more responsive to the public. The proposed bill contains a veritable wish list of measures long sought by open government advocates, including centralized online disclosure of non-profit tax returns, live audio of Supreme Court hearings, and public access to Congressional Research Service reports.

For years, transparency advocates have asked for data on congressional activities in a format that computers can understand, making the information easier to reuse and republish. Last month, Rep. Quigley successfully offered an amendment to an appropriations bill report so that Congress will now publish online information about where bills stand in the legislative process. While this may seem like a housekeeping measure, it has been the subject of significant debate over the last few years, and its adoption would mark a tangible step forward by Congress into the digital age.

One agency that has too often stood in the way of a more transparent government has been the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The office’s inadequate transparency policies leave the public with incomplete information about its review of major rulemaking by agencies and the justifications agencies publish to explain their annual funding requests. At an appropriations hearinglast month, Rep. Quigley asked OMB Directory Sylvia Burwell — since nominated by President Obama as Secretary of Health and Human Services — a series of tough questions about her office’s commitment to transparency.

Given the progress of technology in the digital age, government transparency has never been more achievable — or essential. We applaud Rep. Quigley for taking a leading role in making government more accountable to citizens.