Biden’s legacy: Leaving FOIA in shambles
AP Illustration
The Freedom of Information Act gives the public a right to access government records.
The Freedom of Information Act is supposed to shed light on government activity by giving journalists and the public access to government records. But the law is in shambles. From endless delays in response time and unjustified refusals to ridiculously overbroad redactions, FOIA is plagued with problems.
We must fight back against the government’s refusal to comply with FOIA and urge Congress to reform the law and end backlogs of requests, reduce the number of exemptions, and overturn damaging court decisions.
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Why will it take DOGE three years to respond to a simple FOIA?
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USAID keeping reports secret out of fear of Trump retaliation
Plus: The government’s excuse for keeping a climate report hidden is easily disproved
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Capricious government secrecy could threaten crop production
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DOGE tries to expand use of pseudo-secrets
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What’s the status of JFK declassification efforts?
Plus: Don’t be mad DOGE posted classified budget information. Intelligence agencies’ budgets should be public
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Journalists: Post public records without paywalls
News outlets can help preserve the public domain, and maybe even gain some subscribers
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Here’s how you can help save government data
Plus: Why should the public have to wait until 2034 to file FOIA requests with DOGE?
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Reform the Presidential Records Act — or risk losing DOGE records
Trump and Musk are trying to use the Presidential Records Act’s giant loopholes to hide DOGE’s records
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USAID’s future is in doubt. The status of its records shouldn’t be
How DOGE handles agency records will show its commitment to (or disavowal of) government transparency rules, with implications for every federal office it accesses
