So Much For Transparency: Republican Chair Won’t Send Emails On Bills

It’s often said that a lot of governing goes on behind closed doors. And if some congressional Republicans had their way, a lot more of it would — and the public and other legislative figures would have no idea what was is really going on.

Via Politico:

Got mail? If you were working on Rep. Doc Hastings’s offshore drilling bills, probably not.

The House Natural Resources Committee chairman and his staff wanted to keep the details of his three offshore drilling measures off-limits, even to other Republicans on the committee, so they decided to keep emails to a minimum.

Hastings’s staff discussed the bills largely through face-to-face conversations to prevent emails from being leaked, a spokesman said.

The congressman has also been having secret, off the record, invite-only meetings with energy lobbyists, tightly clamped down so there will be no paper trail to let other politicians, the media or the voters know what is being discussed.

The “super secret” plans aren’t just cutting out journalists, who would provide coverage of what is going on in congress to voters who have a right to know what their elected officials are doing. They also cut out other politicians. Politico reports that the Democrats are still waiting for a briefing about the potential legislation.

How do we even have this tiny inkling of what is going on? Ironically, someone forwarded a little info to Politico — via email.

Read more: 2011 congress, email, politics, Transparency

photo from wikimedia commons

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Bill R.

11:15AM PDT on Apr 3, 2011

Should Politicians have to make their negotiations public? this bring to mind when some lady said, "you will have to wait until it is law before you will know what is in it." Gee, was that really transparent?

send a green star

Patricia S.

4:39AM PDT on Apr 3, 2011

P.S.
Helen never did answer me!

4:37AM PDT on Apr 3, 2011

Sharon H,
Here's my answer. I certainly do not hate the middle class since I happen to be one myself. You've got it all wrong, gal!!!!

Doug D.

9:41PM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

I believe all officials are guilty of this. But those who so blatantly hide their actions need to be voted out of office.

Bob S.

9:01PM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

Isn't this like the pot calling the kettle black...Hope that this "old"saying is politically correct? Hope that the "Depression" has not taken your employment yet...

Marilyn L.

4:24PM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

The Republican Party is doing many things behind closed doors we don't know about. I wish we had some gusty reporters out there who wanted to get to the truth.

Jan N.

9:05AM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

“Should lawmakers have to make their work public?”

Since they’re allegedly doing “the peoples’ work” my answer would have to be not just yes but HELL YES. However, it appears at least someone has learned that anything e-mailed can become public and come back to bite you, so it IS possible politicians can be taught some things.

Sharlene H.

5:43AM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

Secrecy in the Repug party???? Yesterday it was reported that Eric Cantor said to a reporter that he didn't know what Boehner was doing behind closed doors with the Democrates on the Budget issue. "Compromising".

As far as he was concerned his word was the last word on it and Boehner wasn't doing anything.

This is the man who figured he could pass a bill on his say so.

9:04PM PDT on Apr 1, 2011

Just maybe the Democrats should realze why they lost the House big time this last election, and work with the Republicans to reduce the budget like the Voters want. Reid is holding up 5 billion in Earmarks that are tucked away in the budget, Why? Because he owes big business for his re-election. Just maybe if the Democrats would forget that they screwed the Republicans for two years and did not allow them to make any additions or changes to any bills, the Republican were not even allowed time to read the full bill on at least two of the billion dollar bills. Do you realize that Pelosi put 102 billion dollars into ObamaCare for implimentation. God how did she get the Democrats to go for that kind of trickery.

John W.

6:50PM PDT on Apr 1, 2011

Republicans like to say how they will govern,only they don't do what they tell us they will. Their overlords, the corporate elites, might take their kibble'n'bits away if they told us how they really govern and who they govern for.