House kicks off caucus to push for open government laws

House Republicans and Democrats on Thursday launched a congressional transparency caucus that will call for new laws requiring federal information be accessible on the Internet for free and will teach other members about open government initiatives.

"On a bipartisan basis this caucus can bring about real changes to the way our government does business," said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a co-chair of the new 19-member group and ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "We need to work together if we're going to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and lawmakers are operating honestly and effectively," added the caucus' other co-chair, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL). The caucus will work to educate peers and the public, legislate new policies and oversee existing ones, in that order, according to the group's members. A priority area will be the president's open government directive, which demands agencies increasingly publish their records online. Lawmakers from both parties are attempting to require agencies to post public information online by default, which would subsequently preserve for posterity parts of the directive.