Last updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:15am
HOUSE APPROVES 3 PRESS-FRIENDLY BILLS: BUSH VETO COMING?
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The House Wednesday passed three bills to open government records to the public, brushing aside White House opposition, and in one case, a veto threat. The measures, highlighting the media-led Sunshine Week, would force government to be more responsive to Freedom of Information Act requests, make contributions to presidential libraries public and overturn a 2001 presidential directive giving the president authority to keep his records from public view. The White House issued a veto threat on the presidential records bill and voiced opposition to the FOIA legislation. It also said the president would veto a fourth bill the House is to debate later Wednesday on whistleblower protections. Democrats say the bills, several of which were also taken up in past Republican-led Congresses, were needed to shine light on what they say has been one of the most secretive administrations in decades. The White House said it was against the FOIA bill because it was "premature and counterproductive" to legislate new requirements on federal agencies before they have a chance to implement changes the president previously outlined. The votes were 390-34 on the presidential library bill, 333-93 on the presidential records bill and 308-117 on the FOIA legislation.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003558242
* RTNDA Commends Passage of Bill That Boosts FOIA
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424720.html?display=Breaking+News
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