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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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Policy Letter
POGO and Good Government and Openness Coalition Support Public Access to Government-Wide Contractor Responsibility Database
In a few short years, government contract spending has eclipsed $440 billion and the federal government is doing little, if anything, to ensure that risky contractors do not receive taxpayer dollars.
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Policy Letter
POGO Follow-up letter to CDRH Director Daniel Schultz
I am writing to confirm some comments made to me on the phone last week by Ms. Adrienne Burns, your Executive Assistant. On May 7 she said you and your associates were planning to respond to the letter of April 30 by Ms. Danielle Brian (Executive Director of POGO) and me.
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Analysis
Less Alphabet Soup, Maybe, but Less Transparency
Back in January we wrote about the pending new rules for federal agencies for control of information considered sensitive but not classified. We were told that the purpose of the new policy was to ease information-sharing between agencies, most particularly information relate...
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Analysis
When Public Information Goes Private
As companies like Google and Microsoft forge ahead with ambitious projects to scan the collections of many prominent research libraries, some have raised concerns about giving private entities so much control over content that is typically open and free to the public.
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Public Comment
POGO letter requesting NRC Inspector General Bell to investigate Chairman Klein’s negative and misleading comments about a whistleblower
On March 18, 2008, POGO wrote the attached letter to Chairman Klein regarding his February 28, 2008 testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which contained negative references to a Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station whistleblower.
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Policy Letter
POGO letter to members of Congress regarding the DOD Inspector General
As you know, legislation has now passed in both the House (H.R. 928) and the Senate (S. 2324) that would enhance the independence of federal Inspectors General and inprove other aspects of the IG system.
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Policy Letter
POGO Letter to CDRH Director Daniel Schultz regarding a series of questions about the apparent decision not to enforce the GLP regulation
We are writing about the apparent decision by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health not to enforce 21 CFR Part 58, the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations.
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Policy Letter
POGO and other groups urge National Archives to preserve website records of the federal government
We are writing to express our serious concerns about the National Archives and Record Administration’s decision to not capture and preserve a "snapshot" of government web pages at the end of the current Administration.
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Analysis
Important Victory for Inspector General Oversight & Accountability
Late Wednesday night, the Senate passed its version of legislation to amend the law governing federal Inspectors General, after an amendment offered by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) finally broke through the logjam that had blocked the bill's passage since last November.
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Analysis
Seven Years Later: The Jury Is Still Out on Outsourcing
POGO has written previously about the ongoing debate over the federal government's growing reliance on the private sector to perform public functions (see, for example, here and here). A recent article in the Washington Post about the current state of President Bush's competit...
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Policy Letter
POGO Supports Movement of Contractor Responsibility Database (H.R. 3033) in the House hope to Give Government Officials a Tool to Decide Between Responsible and Risky Contractors
I want to personally thank you for your leadership in improving contracting accountability throughout the years, and to express our gratitude for your hard work on H.R. 3033, the “Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act of 2007.”
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Analysis
An “A” for Contracting Accountability
April has been a busy month for improving contracting accountability in the federal government.