Quigley Re-introduces Bipartisan Transparency Bill to Make Congressional Reports Available to the Public

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), co-founder and co-chair of the Transparency Caucus, re-introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (ACMRA) to improve the public and congressional staff's access to reports mandated by Congress through the establishment of a searchable central website managed by the Government Publishing Office (GPO). Rep. Quigley first introduced this bill in 2011 and has introduced it in the past five Congresses. ACMRA's Senate version was introduced by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH).

"In our modern technological era, the American people deserve easy access to these taxpayer-funded reports and the wealth of information they contain. The ability to obtain these reports will benefit anyone interested in the public policy issues that impact their daily lives," said Rep. Quigley. "From congressional staffers and government employees to everyday Americans, these public reports strengthen our service to all those we represent, as well as our commitment to transparency at every level of government."

Each year, Congress receives thousands of reports from federal agencies but does not compile them in a central location. Currently, these reports are maintained by the Clerk of the House in a comprehensive list that runs over 320 pages, instead of in an easily searchable system. The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act would establish a central repository accessible to congressional staffs and the general public. With this library of all non-confidential agency reports in one place, staffers would be able to maximize their time and energy to better inform lawmakers and the public would have information at their disposal for research purposes and to hold elected officials and the government accountable. This bill would ensure the government's business is done in a transparent manner.

Bipartisan co-sponsors include Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Ro Khanna (CA-17), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-At Large), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Mark Walker (NC-06), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), and Rodney Davis (IL-13). The legislation is also endorsed by 38 organizations across the political spectrum. A list of the organizations and a link to their letter of support can be read in full here.

As the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Transparency Caucus, Rep. Quigley has been committed to expanding public access to government information and enforcing accountability. In 2017, he introduced the COVFEFE Act to require that presidential social media postings be classified at presidential records and the MAR-A-LAGO Act to require disclosure of visitor logs at the White House and other Trump properties where official government business is conducted. Also in 2017, Rep. Quigley re-introduced the Transparency in Government Act to increase access, accountability, and transparency at every branch of the federal government with a focus on federal spending, financial disclosure requirements, and improve judicial transparency.