Is the White House trying to blow up an open data bill?

The case for open data is pretty straightforward: Citizens deserve access to the information created with their tax dollars. Publishing that data in a format that's easy to search, sort and download could unleash a wave of innovation. If the private sector had access to government data it could find new ways to leverage it -- creating new services for consumers and new jobs. Right now, we're a long way from that ideal.

The DATA Act aims to standardize and publish a wide variety of US government reports and data related to financial management, assistance and procurement. A version of the bill passed the House unanimously in 2012 and again on a vote of 388 to 1 in November 2013. But the bill did not make it to the floor in the Senate. Now Federal News Radio has leaked a document showing that the Office of Management and Budget wants to remove requirements for standardized formats, eliminate a mandate to make all data available from the same source and significantly delay implementation.