Senators who should be ashamed of themselves -- and their staff
As we work to smoke out Senator Secrecy (bear in mind, we could be looking for more than one person), just wanted to share with you some of the comments I have received from SPJ members who have placed calls. I'll add more as they roll in ...
From Linda Heuring in South Carolina:
"Jim DeMint’s office staff told me they have no way to get information on whether on not the senator placed the hold. Amazing. They sent me to the Senate Republican Steering Committee, which has a full voice mailbox and disconnects me after the full recording with a cheery 'Goodbye.'"
From Joey Senat in Oklahoma:
"The SPJ list of senators could use a third option: Won't answer.
"Just called Sen. Inhofe’s D.C. office to ask if he placed the secret hold. Rather than answer my question, the young woman answering the phone kept explaining that the purpose of a secret hold was to keep it anonymous. Kept telling her that I understood what 'secret' meant and that the irony of this hold was astounding. That seemed to go over her head. Also told her that Coburn’s office claims he isn’t the one and that a growing list of other senators also are claiming innocence. That seemed to confuse her, but she finally put me through to a staffer’s voice mail. I left a message and will keep calling.
All those reporters in DC can't find out who did this???"
(My 2 cents: That's right, Joey, the amount of news coverage devoted to this important issue is truly appalling. I just Googled -- "Open Government Act" secret -- and came up with only FIVE articles about this. FIVE. I'm nearly coming unglued about the palty attention the media are giving this matter ... Bet we'll see plenty of coverage today of Lindsay Lohan's latest stint in rehab though.)
Here's what a very nice young woman named Laura Henderson in the office of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) told me:
"We don't comment on any holds. It's a longtime office policy from what I understand."
(My 2 cents: Laura, question that longtime policy. It's ridiculous. And here's something else for you -- and everyone -- to note: SPJ is officially reporting Shelby as a "No Comment," but we KNOW he didn't place this hold.)
While we're all thinking about the cowardly "secret hold," it's worth noting that there are some senators who despise it and are even actively championing to do away with it. Also from my e-mail inbox:
From Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-OR) office:
Senator Wyden does NOT have a secret hold on the Open Government Act. In fact, he has worked for years to end the practice of secret holds. Toward this end, he always makes it public when he places a hold by putting a notice in the Congressional Record.
Thank you,
Melissa Merz
Communications Director
As relayed by Sen. Barbara Mikulski's (D-MD) counsel:
SPJ gang--
I love the project! And for the record, it wasn't Sen. Mikulski. She hates secret holds and didn't do it, her counsel Erin Corcoran told me.
Nice job, y'all!
Rick Blum, Coordinator, Sunshine in Government Initiative
According to a spokeswoman for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), with whom I spoke:
"He doesn't believe in secret holds. He and Sen. Wyden have been campagining against secret holds for several years. And Sen. Grassley has adopted a personal policy that if he has an objection to something, he'll place a statement in the Congressional Record. The secret hold is a senate procedure and a courtesy, not a rule. Various leaders have said along the way that they would handle the procedure differently, but that hasn't happened."
From David Hughey: I called Senator Hutchison's Abilene office yesterday to ask if she put the hold on the Bill sponsored by Leavy and Cornyn (S.849). I called back today and was transfered to the Austion office. I asked the same question and they told me the person I spoke to yesterday was traveling and they wanted me to call her back tomorrow. I said I would.
The Open Government Act sponsored by Leahy and Cornyn is Bill S.849 and there is a Congresional Budget Office Cost estimate prepared for it. (I have not read it yet).
Mr. Leahy, noted in the Congressional Record, as you already know, that, "Regrettably, an anonymous Republican hold is stalling this important Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, legislation, needlessly delaying long-overdue reforms to strengthen FOIA and to protect the public's right to know." (Senate-May 24, 2007, page S6829). So the hold is a Republican Senator.
He also noted that there were 10 Senators "from both sides of the aisle" who had cosponsored this Bill. Cosponsors are: (Mr. Specter [PN}, Mr. Feingold [D-WI], Mr. Kerry [D-MA] (3-15, pg. S3201); and Mr. Isakson [R-GA] (3-21, pg. S3517; and Mr. Brown [D-OH] (3-27, pg. S3836); and Mr. Cardin [D-MD] (4-10, pg. S430; and Ms. Landrieu [D-LA] (4-30, pg. S5306); and Mr. Sanders [I-VT] (5-16, pg. S6193); and Mr. Durbin [D-IL] (5-21, pg. S6399) I missed a cosponsor somewhere (I found nine) and THOMAS is not fully updated yet on this Bill and all the cosponsors.
On May 21 there appears to be an amendment SA 1147(Amendments submitted and proposed, pg. S6408): "Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 849, to promote accessibility, and openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act), and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table."
It appears the Bill left the Judiciary Committee after that....
I did notice that last year (in the 109th Congress) Senator Cornyn submitted Bill S.394 with six cosponsors (Senators Alexander [TN], Feingold [WI], Isakson [GA], Johnson [SD], Leahy [VT], and Nelson [NE]). That Bill was almost identical to the current Bill S.849. S.394 (109th Congress) had a related bill submitted in the House by Rep. Lamar Smith [TX-21], H.R. 867 that had 31 cosponsors from the House. The last action I found for S.394 was placing it on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 628.
I am learning as I go ...