Letter to Harry Reid on committee transparency

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Please help edit this letter to Reid.

Dear Senator Harry Reid,

We have found it difficult to obtain transcripts for some Senate committees. We'd like to ask you to help make these more easily available. Rules requiring timely publication of hearing minutes and other committee proceedings on the Internet would serve the public interest in an well-informed citizenry as intended by the rules of the Senate.

Thankfully, there is already a foundation upon which to build. THOMAS (web service of the Library of Congress) was launched in January of 1995, at the inception of the 104th Congress. The leadership of the 104th Congress directed the Library of Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the public. Since that time THOMAS has expanded the scope of its offerings and yet much remains to be done.

Rule 5(b) Standing Rules of the Senate RULE XXVI COMMITTEE PROCEDURE provides that, "Each meeting of a committee, or any subcommittee thereof, including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public ..." For this provision to be more meaningful in a modern context committees should be electronically publishing (using open internet standards and with minimal copyright restrictions), at least 48 hours in advance, meeting agenda's and (in as close to realtime as practicable) minutes or audio and/or video recording of proceedings.

Efforts should be made towards proactive disclosure on the open internet by default of items listed in Senate Committee Proceedure Rule 10.(a). Exemptions to this default should be possible only for reasons of overiding importance in the public interest and require an affirmative decision on division by 2/3 majority recorded by the chair.

Committees have extensive powers with regard to bills and nominees; they may block nominees and impede bills from reaching the floor of the Senate. Finally, standing committees also oversee the departments and agencies of the executive branch. In discharging their duties, standing committees have the power to hold hearings and to subpoena witnesses and evidence. For these reasons, it is right that the People be informed of the proceedings of the committees of their Congress at a pace in keeping with public expectations in the internet age.