(国会记录:2008年6月25日(参议院))总统先生，7月4日，我国将庆祝《信息自由法》签署42周年。在我们纪念这一重要纪念日的同时，我国还庆祝今年早些时候颁布了十多年来对《信息自由法》的首次重大改革——《开放政府法》，这将在未来多年重振和加强这一至关重要的开放政府法。《信息自由法》(Freedom of Information Act)如今已经走过了第四个十年，它仍然是揭露糟糕政策和政府滥用职权的不可或缺的工具。该法案帮助保障了几代美国人的“知情权”。今天，由于12月31日签署成为法律的《公开政府法案》(OPEN Government Act)所包含的改革，根据《信息公开法案》(FIOA)寻求信息的美国人将经历一个比过去透明得多、延误少得多的过程。这是非常好的消息。但仍有许多工作要做，以确保《信息自由法》仍然是保持我们的民主开放和自由的有效工具。《政府开放法案》的一个关键组成部分是在国家档案和记录管理局(National Archives and Records Administration)内创建一个政府信息服务办公室(OGIS)。该办公室将调解《信息自由法》纠纷，审查机构是否遵守《信息自由法》，并设立一个新设立的《信息自由法》监察员。 Establishing a fully funded OGIS is essential to reversing the troubling trend of the last 7 years towards lax FOIA compliance and excessive Government secrecy. I am pleased that the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies--a panel on which I serve--last week rejected the President's budget proposal to move the functions of OGIS to the Department of Justice. I will continue to work very hard to ensure that OGIS is fully funded within the National Archives--as Congress intended--so that this important office has the necessary resources to fully comply with the OPEN Government Act. There is also more work to be done to further strengthen FOIA. Earlier this year, I was pleased to join with Senator John Cornyn in introducing the OPEN FOIA Act, S. 2746, a bill that requires Congress to clearly and explicitly state its intention to create a statutory exemption to FOIA when it provides for such an exemption in new legislation. While there is a very real need to keep certain Government information secret to ensure the public good and safety, excessive Government secrecy is a constant temptation and the enemy of a vibrant democracy. The OPEN FOIA Act provides a safeguard against the growing trend towards FOIA exemptions, and would make all FOIA exemptions clear and unambiguous, and vigorously debated, before they are enacted into law. The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider this bill at its business meeting this week, and I urge all members to support this legislation to further restore the public's trust in their Government. As we reflect upon the celebration of another FOIA anniversary, we in Congress must also reaffirm our commitment to open and transparent government. As I have said many times, open government is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is an American value and a virtue that all Americans hold dear. It is in this bipartisan spirit that I join Americans from across the political spectrum in celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the birth of FOIA and all that this law has come to symbolize about our vibrant democracy. ____________________