On April 12, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the Open Government Act, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

The bill would reduce delays in releasing government records and hold public officials accountable when they break the law, thereby strengthening the federal Freedom of Information Act.

A similar bill was overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, but blocked from reaching the Senate floor for a May 24 vote because an unknown senator placed a secret hold on the bill. 

 

This ploy has been used before.  In August 2006, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) put a hold on a bill to create a searchable public database of all federal grants and contracts. Only after online public advocates and journalists forced senators to go on the record about whether they placed the hold was his role revealed.

 

SPJ members have been calling their senators and keeping a tally of their responses.  As of this writing, 64 senators have denied placing the hold on the bill when queried by SPJ members.