NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Reporters barred from fiscal cliff call: A conference call between Vice President Joe Biden and local government officials this week is to explicitly exclude the media, according to an invitation obtained by Watchdog.org. The call is supposed to be a discussion of the so-called "fiscal cliff" and the Democrats' plans to deal with it. (Watchdog.org)
- Another private fiscal cliff meeting: Senior White House officials are continuing to hold private meetings with CEOs and interest groups regarding the fiscal cliff. The president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, accompanied by one of the group's lobbyists, is having one such meeting this week. (Roll Call)
- The filibuster goes to court: A federal court has started hearing arguments about the Constitutionality of the filibuster. Four House Democrats and the group Common Cause brought the lawsuit. (Washington Post)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/10/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Campaign remnants
- Obama accepts corporate cash for inauguration: President Barack Obama will accept corporate money for the inauguration, changing course from his first inauguration in 2009. (Washington Post)
- Obama, Romney draw $2 billion during campaign: More than $2 billion was raised to support Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in their campaigns to win the presidency, reports show. At least $1 billion was spent on each candidate by a combination of their own campaigns and supporting groups. (Washington Post)
- Late super PAC donations revealed: Donations poured into super PACs just days before the election, campaign finance records show. The deadline for post-election reports was Dec. 6. (Roll Call)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/7/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- McConnell fights campaign finance reform: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is fighting against campaign finance reform as some members of his caucus talk about supporting the measures. (The Hill)
- Something familiar about backroom talks: President Barack Obama is letting talks about the so-called "fiscal cliff" happen in the dark, despite being criticized during the healthcare reform negotiations for the same kind of move. (POLITICO)
- DeMint leaves Congress for Heritage Foundation: U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) announced he is resigning from Congress to lead the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. South Carolina's governor can appoint a replacement until a special election in 2014. (New York Times)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/6/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- House approves financial disclosure delay: The House approved a bill this week that further delays financial disclosure requirements for nearly 30,000 federal employees. The bill pushes the disclosure back to April 15, 2013. (Washington Post)
- Groups ask Boehner to keep ethics board: Several good-government groups are asking House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to keep the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) in the 113th Congress. Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have to replace at least four of the panel's members for the body to continue to exist. (The Hill)
Lobbying and influence
- A look at the hill's revolving doors: Lawmakers who lost reelection bids are being courted now by lobbyist recruiters as they pack up their offices. Headhunters sometimes end up talking to outgoing members of Congress in locations ranging from House offices to the backseats of cars. (Roll Call)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/5/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Audit finds FOIA lag: More than 70 percent of federal agencies have failed to update their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) standards in the past several years, according to an audit by the National Security Archive. (Washington Post)
- 2012 campaign spending spree could spark reform: The campaign spending spree in the 2012 elections could inspire lawmakers to put restrictions on political money, according to a panel of election law experts. (Roll Call)
- FTC, FCC nominees face high-stakes agendas: Presidential nominees for the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission face some hefty agendas if they are confirmed by the Senate. Both agencies have several controversial issues on their agendas. (Yahoo)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/4/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Emerson resigns after winning re-election: U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) announced she is resigning after winning re-election to take a position with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which lobbies for electric utility companies. She will step down in February and a special election will be held to fill the seat. (New York Times)
- Plum Book published in print, digital formats: The Plum Book published by the Government Printing Office is out for the first time in both print and digital formats. The book details government positions by agency, pay grade, appointment type, and more. (Government Executive)
- Diminishing line between think tanks and government: In the wake of Gen. David Petraeus' resignation as head of the CIA, reports show an increasingly thin line between think tanks and government. Several think tank scholars had close relationships with Petraeus, including spending time with him in Afghanistan. (Washington Post)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/3/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Congress polls low on honesty: People have a better view of the U.S. Congress' honesty this year than they did last year, but more than half still have a negative view of congressional ethics and honesty. (POLITICO)
- Staffer falls less than $2 short of disclosure: A Senator's deputy chief of staff had a salary that put her $1.12 under the bar for disclosure. Her husband is running for lieutenant governor of Virginia. (Washington Post)
Lobbying
- Lawmakers head to K Street: Several of the lawmakers leaving the hill - whether through retirement or losing a bid for reelection - are headed to K Street to join the lobbying world. Departing House members will technically have to wait one year to lobby their former colleagues, and former Senators are supposed to wait two years. (POLITICO)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/30/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- SEC change buoys hope for disclosure: The departure of Mary Schapiro as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raised hopes among those who want the agency to force disclosure of political activities by publicly traded companies. They are hopeful the new SEC head will be more open to the reform. (The Hill)
- Presidential appointments announced: Some of President Barack Obama's intended appointments have been announced. Among those intended appointees is Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, who Obama would like to appoint as chairwoman of the Public Interest Declassification Board. (The Hill)
- NASA using Ideascale to revamp website: NASA is using Ideascale to gather ideas for redesigning its website. The idea with the most votes is to make more raw data available to the public. (FCW)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/29/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Lawmakers duel over music royalties: A House Judiciary Committee hearing made it clear lawmakers have different ideas about what kind of reform should happen with royalties music-streaming websites pay recording companies and artists. They did agree, however, that royalty fees should be paid for songs played on traditional radio stations. (The Hill)
- Issa considers two-year ban on Internet regulations: U.S. Rep. Darrel Issa (R-CA) is asking for input on a bill that would place a two-year ban on any new Internet regulations, with an exception for national security emergencies. (The Hill)
- Report finds Reyes probably misused funds: A House Ethics Committee report found reason to believe U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) violated campaign finance rules or law by having campaign events on House property, among other things. (Roll Call)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/28/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Earmarks ban appears set to stick in House and Senate: It looks like the ban on earmarks will continue in the House and Senate. House and Senate Republicans have approved the bans, and Senate Democrats may follow that lead. (Roll Call)
- GSA launches dashboard: The General Services Administration (GSA) has launched a dashboard that will share more information on federal IT spending. (Federal Times)
- Obama signs extended whistleblower protections: President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that extends whistleblower protections to more federal workers, including those in the TSA. (Government Executive)
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