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Latest Policy Publications
POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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Analysis
New Public Registry Aims to End Controlled Unclassified Information Chaos; DoD Drags Heels
The government has a long history of using pseudo-classification to control information that is unclassified, but still sensitive, and therefore concealed from public release.
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Analysis
Is the Federal Suspension and Debarment System Broken?
Is the federal suspension and debarment system broken? The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) attempted to answer that question yesterday.
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Policy Letter
Support Letter for NDAA Leahy Amendment to Fix FOIA Exemption
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to urge you to support an amendment offered by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to fix an over-broad and ill-defined provision relating to “critical infrastructure information,” in Section 1044 of the National Defense Auth...
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Analysis
Justice Department Records Show Dramatic Rise in FARA Enforcement
Over the past few years, the Justice Department has dramatically ramped up its enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), according to new records obtained by POGO under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The records provide hard evidence in support of what...
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Policy Letter
Super Committee Must Post Recommendations 72 Hours Before Voting
As organizations and individuals dedicated to transparency in government, we write to urge you to allow televising of oral arguments in the three cases before the Court addressing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Nat’l Fed’n of Indep. Bus. v. Sebelius, No. 11-39...
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Public Comment
Public comment regarding Office of Government Ethics rule on gifts from lobbyists
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we would like to provide the following public comment regarding the Office of Government Ethics’ (OGE) “Proposed Amendments Limiting Gifts From Registered Lobbyists and Lobbying Organizations” (RIN 3209-AA04).
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Policy Letter
POGO and Allies Oppose Bill That Would Hobble SEC
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to oppose the passage of the “SEC Regulatory Accountability Act” (H.R. 2308), which is scheduled for markup tomorrow, November 15, in the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises. This legis...
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Analysis
98 Percent of Former Military Officers Drop Out of Pentagon Program after Financial Disclosure
Since Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered the Pentagon to require "senior mentors" to file public financial disclosure documents, 98 percent of the retired senior officers from the Navy, Marines and three special combatant commands have left the program, according...
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Analysis
Osprey Odyssey: Rep Jones’ Ten-Year Quest to Clear the Names of Two Marine Corps Pilots
In the spring of 2000, an MV-22 Osprey carrying 19 Marines crashed in the desert of Arizona during a nighttime training exercise, killing everyone on board. After the Marine Corps hastily announced that the crash was the result of human error, the news made the usual media rou...
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Testimony
POGO’s Angela Canterbury offering comments on the plan to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making.
Members of PCAST, it is my pleasure to offer comments today on the long overdue need for a plan to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making.
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Analysis
Did Your FOIA Request Really Not Exist--Or is That Just What the DOJ Told You?
The Department of Justice (DOJ) came to its senses on Thursday and scrapped a controversial proposal that would model the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on the first rule of Fight Club. Then it backpedaled by saying it has actually been misleading FOIA requesters about the ...
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Testimony
POGO’s Nick Schwellenbach testifying on “Are government contractors exploiting workers overseas?” before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
The U.S. has been a global leader in combating trafficking in persons, yet our tax dollars are inadvertently fueling this human rights tragedy through our labor supply chain in war zones and other contingency operations. Not only is trafficking and exploitation of laborers a m...