Reducing Secrecy

Excessive secrecy has long been a problem in the fields of national and homeland security because it limits information sharing and leaves us less safe as a nation. Both the 9/11 Commission and the congressional Joint Inquiry into 9/11 recommended reforms to reduce unnecessary secrets. OpenTheGovernment.org works with our partners, the Administration, and Congress to put policies in place that both protect constitutional rights and ensure national security by better protecting real secrets and improving information sharing.

To Fix House Intelligence Oversight, Change the Rules

OpenTheGovernment.org joined a diverse group of 50 organizations, whistleblowers, and former Congressional staffers calling on Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi to support changes to the House of Representatives’ rules, to allow effective oversight on national security matters.

12/17/2014

OpenTheGovernment.org Statement on the Release of the Senate Torture Report's Executive Summary

OpenTheGovernment.org welcomes the long-overdue release of the Executive Summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s study of the CIA torture program. We were appalled by the 11th-hour attempt to intimidate Senator Feinstein and the Intelligence Committee out of releasing the report, and relieved that she resisted that pressure. The argument that government abuses cannot be revealed because of their severity is incompatible with the First Amendment, the rule of law, and accountable government.

12/09/2014

OpenTheGovernment.org’s Statement on the Senate's Failure to Advance USA Freedom Act

OpenTheGovernment.org is disappointed at the Senate’s failure to advance the compromise version of the USA Freedom Act (S. 2685) last night. The bill contained important advances for transparency about surveillance, though they were only a first step towards the disclosures that are necessary to restore democratic accountability.

11/19/2014

OpenTheGovernment.org Supports Passage of the USA Freedom Act, Opposes Any Amendments to Weaken the Bill

Over the summer, OpenTheGovernment.org and a group of other transparency organizations wrote to Senate leadership to request that they allow a floor vote on the Senate compromise version of the USA FREEDOM Act, without any changes that weaken the text.

11/17/2014

Groups to National Archives: Don’t Let the CIA Destroy Its Emails

OpenTheGovernment.org and 16 other open government, civil liberties and human rights groups have asked the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to reject a CIA request for increased authority to destroy email records.

11/03/2014

OpenTheGovernment.org’s Shadow Report to the Committee Against Torture

On November 12 and 13, the United Nations Committee Against Torture will hold a review in Geneva to examine the United States’ record of compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

10/20/2014

Members of Congress, Office of Special Counsel, and More File Amicus Briefs in Support of Whistleblower

Federal Air Marshall Robert MacLean blew the whistle when the Department of Homeland Security canceled long distance air marshal coverage during a heightened terrorist alert. Three years later, the MacLean was fired and the text message informing him of the planned cancellation was retroactively designated as Sensitive Security Information.

10/14/2014

What's the Legal Basis for Strikes in Syria?

Last night, the United States began bombing targets in Syria. Whatever the policy merits of these strikes, there are crucial unanswered questions about their legal justification.

09/23/2014

Four Members of Congress join OpenTheGovernment.org and Other Groups In Seeking End to Secret Legal Interpretations of Executive Order 12333

OpenTheGovernment.org, four members of Congress, and over forty other civil society organizations wrote to President Obama and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) asking for a thorough investigation of the NSA’s surveillance under Executive Order 12333. The letter, organized by Access, states in part:

09/03/2014

Our Focus Issues

Reducing Secrecy