"Lawmakers Talk Legislation In Response To FOIA Changes"

"Senators from both parties are unhappy with new Trump administration rules giving political appointees at two government agencies more power to review public information requests, and they say they may craft legislation to fix it.

The new rules for considering Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests at the Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency have provoked complaints from the media and outside groups, and the senators say they go in the opposite direction in terms of providing access to government records.

“In a self-governed society, the people ought to know what their government is up to,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who has led the charge on this issue and is considering legislation."

Miranda Green reports for The Hill July 7, 2019.