Conservative Leader Urges Public Access to CRS Reports
Paul M. Weyrich, the influential culture warrior who leads the arch-conservative Free Congress Foundation, has called upon Congress to grant public access to products of the Congressional Research Service.
“It seems to me that it is time to end the foolishness and just make the CRS website available to the general public,” Mr. Weyrich wrote in a new commentary.
Does Mr. Weyrich’s endorsement of public access to CRS reports imply that continued restrictions on such access might actually be desirable? Of course not.
Here are some recent acquisitions (all pdf).
“The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview,” updated November 28, 2006.
“Radioactive Tank Waste from the Past Production of Nuclear Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress,” updated January 3, 2007.
“United Nations Reform: U.S. Policy and International Perspectives,” January 22, 2007.
The public rarely sees the quiet, often messy work that goes into creating, passing, and implementing a major piece of legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act.
If this proposed rule were enacted it would have deleterious effects on government workers in general and federal researchers and scientists, specifically.
When we introduce “at-will” employment to government employees, we also introduce the potential for environments where people are more concerned about self-preservation than service to others.
There is no better time to re-invigorate America’s innovation edge by investing in R&D to create and capture “industries of the future,” re-shoring capital and expertise, and working closely with allies to expand our capabilities while safeguarding those technologies that are critical to our security.