April 9, 2009
“Transparency” has become a buzzword because of the belief that greater transparency will root out corruption in government. There is no question that to the extent there are bad actors in Washington, greater transparency will flush them out. But what’s often lost in the cynicism that surrounds conversations about transparency is that channeling the power of the Internet to make what government does available online in real time will create a more thoughtful, deliberative conversation between elected officials and the public, and may result in better public policy, more careful monitoring of the public purse, and more trust in government. In order to improve the discourse between the public and our representatives, Congress must be willing to make its fundamental work more transparent. The Sunlight Foundation has recently launched ReadTheBill.org, an effort to convince Congress that it must post all non-emergency legislation is online, in its final form, at least 72 hours before consideration. This simple solution would allow members of Congress to know what they are voting on before they vote. It would also enable those outside the Capitol and K Street to understand legislation and voice ways to improve it. Reporters would have meaningful opportunities to explain legislation to the public. Membership organizations, trade associations and nonprofits would be better able to serve their members by being able to review, analyze and explain legislative proposals. Corporations, small business owners and labor leaders would know how legislation might impact workers or their bottom line. Individuals would read bills on issues that are important to them so they could become more active participants in our democracy. Requiring nearly contemporaneous disclosure, including a synopsis of the issues discussed, of all significant, substantive contacts lobbyists have with members of Congress, their staff or executive branch employees would also improve public discourse. Making lawmakers’ interactions with lobbyists more transparent would inform the public as to the issues that are hot, whose interests are being represented, and whether another voice with a different perspective needs to be heard. Despite much of the recent rhetoric, lobbying is not a bad thing. Most of the problems stem from the public not knowing who is lobbying for what. Letting the public know with whom their elected officials are meeting and what they are discussing would level the playing field and allow members of Congress to hear all sides of an issue, improving their decision-making. It’s true that we have had some bad actors—former Senator Ted Stevens and lobbyist Jack Abramoff come immediately to mind—who have used their power or their access to power to curry favors to the detriment of the public. There can be no doubt that greater transparency could have rooted out these scandals sooner. But even more prevalent on Capitol Hill than bad actors are bad decisions. The goal of transparency should be to open up discussions, improve the deliberative process, and help our democracy live up to its potential. ______ Lisa Rosenberg is Government Affairs Consultant for the Sunlight Foundation, lobbying Congress to make legislative changes to improve transparency in government. She has extensive experience in the legislative branch, having worked for many years on and off Capitol Hill.