The Liberal Coalition

Secrecy News

An unidentified Republican Senator placed a secret hold on the Open Government Act, a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act, thereby preventing the Senate from acting on the bill this week.

OPEN GOVERNMENT ACT



Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am deeply disappointed that the Senate

may not consider the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National

Government Act,'' the OPEN Government Act, S. 849, before it adjourns

for the Memorial Day recess. The Judiciary Committee favorably reported

this bipartisan bill. We have filed a committee report on this

important legislation. Regrettably, an anonymous Republican hold is

stalling this important Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, legislation,

needlessly delaying long-overdue reforms to strengthen FOIA and to

protect the public's right to know.

It is both unfortunate and ironic that this bipartisan bill, which

promotes sunshine and openness in our government, is being hindered by

a secret and anonymous hold. This is a good government bill that

Democrats and Republicans alike, can and should work together to enact.

I hope that the Senator placing the secret hold on this bill will come

forward, so that we can resolve any legitimate concerns, and the full

Senate can promptly act on this legislation.

The OPEN Government Act is cosponsored by 10 Senators from both sides

of the aisle. This bill is also endorsed by more than 100 business,

public interest, and news organizations from across the political and

ideological spectrum, including, the American Library Association,

Conservation Congress, the Liberty Coalition, OpenTheGovernment.org,

the Sunshine in Government Initiative, the Republican Liberty Caucus

and Public Citizen.

Red Wing couple save girl stuck in mud

RED WING, Minn. — A Red Wing couple out to celebrate their anniversary ended up saving a girl stuck hip-deep in 40-degree mud.

Amazon.com: The Children of Hurin: Deluxe Edition: Books: J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, Alan Lee



How did a lifetime of stories become The Children of Húrin? In an essay on the making of the book, Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (and French translator of his History of Middle-earth), explains that the Húrin legends made up the third "Great Tale" of his grandfather's Middle-earth writing, and he describes how his father, Christopher Tolkien, painstakingly collected the pieces of the legend into a complete story told only in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien. "For anyone who has read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings," he writes, The Children of Húrin "allows them to take a step back into a larger world, an ancient land of heroes and vagabonds, honour and jeopardy, hope and tragedy."