On June 13, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA) introduced a bill to revamp federal spending transparency. The new bill, called the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), would create a new board to oversee spending transparency, as well as implement full multi-tier recipient reporting. While the bill is a welcome effort to improve federal spending transparency, it still lacks some key details, contains a few worrisome provisions, and does not go far enough in broadening transparency in federal spending.
Anti-tax ideologue Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and his allies in Congress are 
The Obama administration announced on June 13 a plan to retool its approach to federal websites, with an emphasis on consolidating or eliminating sites. Although the plan has the potential to increase transparency, open government advocates are concerned that important information could end up on the chopping block.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) continues to attack public protections and will advance the anti-regulatory community’s 
Although the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is 
On June 8, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the identities of more than 150 chemicals that had previously been claimed as confidential by industry. The EPA's action was the latest step in the agency's initiative, announced in 2010, to disclose more chemical information to the public.
On June 6, the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) held a 
On May 26, a wide range of federal agencies released 30 preliminary plans outlining steps each intends to take to meet requirements for reviewing existing regulations, reducing burdens on business, and expanding public participation in the rulemaking process. The plans are part of the Obama administration's efforts to examine ways to reduce regulatory costs and identify outdated and ineffective rules.