"Senate Passes FOIA Bill"

"One of the last acts of retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) was holding up a broadly supported bill to reform the Freedom of Information Act, warning Friday that it could harm consumer protections.

Over the weekend, transparency advocates and bill supporters stirred, pushing Rockefeller to change his mind. And on Monday, as Congress’ lame duck session drew to a close, he relented. The Senate unanimously approved the FOIA Improvement Act, sending a bill intended to create a “presumption of openness” among government agencies to the House, which passed a similar bill earlier this year.

Rockefeller’s change of heart boosted transparency advocates and the bill’s sponsors — but he wouldn’t clearly explain why he dropped his objections during an interview Monday. The outgoing West Virginian emphatically denied feeling the pressure as the lone senator holding the bill up (“that would never bother me”) but gave a cryptic answer on why he altered his position."

Burgess Everett reports for Politico December 8, 2014.

SEE ALSO:

"Why Did Sen. Jay Rockefeller Block FOIA Reform Bill?" (technical.ly dc)

"Senior Dem Withdraws Opposition To FOIA Update" (The Hill)