Sunlight Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC – As the 111th Congress convenes, the Sunlight Foundation just released a new, interactive timeline that highlights key moments in the history of transparency reform in Congress and tells the story behind the events that have led to the current level of openness on Capitol Hill.

From the creation of the first congressional press galleries to the enactment of sweeping ethics reforms, Sunlight’s Transparency Timeline shows how the history of the United States is intertwined with technological developments and innovations from within Congress that have enhanced public access to its work.

“Over the course of two-hundred twenty years, Congress has gradually opened their inner workings to public inspection,” said Ellen Miller, co-founder and executive director of the Sunlight Foundation. “From the opening of its doors to the organization of its papers to the disclosure of influence, transparency has been on the march for centuries in Congress. Technological developments, political calculation, idealism and corruption scandals have all contributed to the continued march of transparency.”

Although similar timelines exist that show the history of reform for campaign finance, elections and congressional procedure, this is the first to distinguish transparency’s own distinct history. Notably, the Clerk of the House’s Web site recently published a timeline of the history the use of electronic media by the House of Representatives.

The Sunlight Foundation supports, develops and deploys new Internet technologies to make information about Congress and the federal government more accessible to the American people. Through its projects and grant-making, Sunlight serves as a catalyst to create greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government. Visit SunlightFoundation.com to learn more about Sunlight’s projects, including The Open Senate Project, Capitol Words and OpenCongress.org.
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