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DARRELLE.ISSA.CALIFORNIA
CHAIRMAN
ONEHUNDREDTWELFTHCONGRESS
ELIJAHE.CUMMINGS,MARYLAND
RANKINGMINORITYMEMBER
DANBURTON.INDIANAJOHNL.MICA.FLORIDATODDRUSSELLPLATTS.PENNSYLVANIAMICHAELR.TURNER.OHIOPATRICKMcHENRY.NORTHCAROLINAJIMJORDAN.OHIOJASONCHAFFHZ.UTAHCONNIEMACK.FLORIDA
TIMWALBERG,MICHIGAN
JAMESLANKFORD.OKLAHOMAJUSTINAMASH,MICHIGANANNMARIEBUERKLE.NEWYORKPAULA.GOSAR,D.D.S.ARIZONARAULR.LABRADOR,IDAHOPATRICKMEEHAN.PENNSYLVANIASCOTTDesJARLAIS.M.D.,TENNESSEEJOEWALSH.ILLINOISTREYGOW~Y.SOUTHCAROLINADENNISA.ROSS,FLORIDAFRANKCGUINTA.NEWHAMPSHIREBLAKEFARENTHOL0,TEXASMIKEKELLY.PENNSYLVANIA
(!Congress
of
themntteb~tates
j!)ouseofl\epres£ntatib£s
MA.Jonrry
(202)225-507<1FACSJ,.IILE(202)225-397<!M1HORlTY(202)
225-5051
htlp:l/ovEfSlght.house.govEDOLPHUSTOWNS.NEWYORKCAROLYNB.MALONEY.NEWYORKELEANORHOLMESNORTON,DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIADENNIS
J.
KUCINICH.OHIOJOHNF.TIERNEY.MASSACHUSETTSWM.LACYCLAY.MISSOURISTEPHENF.lYNCH,MASSACHUSETTSJIMCOOPER,TENNESSEEGERALDECONNOLLY.VIRGINIAMIKEOUIGLEY.ILLINOISDANNYK.DAVIS.ILLINOIS·BRUCEL.BRALEY,IOWAPETERWELCH.VERMONTJOHNA.YARMUTH.KENTUCKYCHRISTOPHERS.MURPHY.CONNECTICUTJACKIESPEIER.CALIFORNIA
COMMITIEEONOVERSIGHTANDGOVERNMENTREFORM2157
RAYBURNHOUSEOFFICEBUILDINGWASHINGTON,
DC
20515-6143
April11,2012
LAWRENCE
J.
8RADYSTAFFDIRECTOR
TheHonorableEricHolderAttorneyGeneraloftheUnitedStatesU.S,DepartmentofJustice950PennsylvaniaAvenue,NWWashington,DC20530DearMr.Holder:IwritetoexpressmyconcemregardingarecentDepartmentofJustice
(001)
proposaltocarveoutanexpandedroleforitselfbymarketingitselfasthesolearbiterinFOIAdisputesthususurpingtheOfficeofGovernmentInformationServices(OGIS),inapparentcontraventionofFOrAlaw.Specifically,DOJproposedtomodifythesystemofrecords,"FreedomofInformationAct,PrivacyAct,andMandatoryDeclassificationReviewRequestsandAdministrativeAppealsfortheDepartmentofJustice(DOJ-004).,,1DOl'sproposalwouldaddlanguagedescribingthe
001
OfficeofInformationPolicy(OIP)"asOmbudsmanindisputesbetweenfederalagenciesandindividualswhosubmitrequestsundertheFreedomofInformationAct."ThisnewdefinitionisprescribedfiveseparatetimesinDOl'snotice.DOJhasimportantbutlimitedstatutoryresponsibilitiesconcerningtheFreedomofInformationAct(FOIA).TheseresponsibilitiesincludemakinginformationaboutagencyFOIAprogramspubliclyavailable;issuingrecommendationsandguidelinestoagencyFOIAoffices,andencouragingagencyFOIAcompliance.'DOl'sresponsibilitiesunderFOIA,however,donotincludeofferingdisputeresolutionservicesbetweenagenciesandFOIArequesters.TheOPEGovernmentActof2007establishedOGISwithintheNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministrationtoactastheofficialFOIAOmbudsmanandtoprovideservicesincludingdisputeresolution:TheOfficeofGovernmentInformationServicesshalloffermediationservicestoresolvedisputesbetweenpersonsmakingrequestsunder[FOIA]andadministrativeagencies."
I
PrivacyActof
1974;
SystemofRecords,
77FederalRegister16066-16069,March19,2012."FreedomofInformationAct,PrivacyAct,andMandatoryDeclassificationReviewRequestsandAdministrativeAppealsfortheDepartmentofJustice(DOJ-004)."
21d.
3
See
FreedomofInformationAct,5U.S.C.
§
552.
4
See
OPENGovemmentActof2007,P.L.No.110-175,121Stat.2524.
 
TheHonorableEricHolderApril11,2012Page2OOISiscommonlyreferredtobyCongressas"TheFederalFOIAombudsman.'WhenitcreatedOOIS,CongressexplicitlychosetohousethenewentityattheNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration.ThelanguagecontainedinDOl'sproposalofmodificationclearlycontradictsCongress'sintentandthelanguageoftheOPENGovernmentAct.Theuseoftheterm"Ombudsman"torefertotheDOJOIPundermines001S'sofficialroleinFOIA,andwillresultinconfusionforagenciesandFOIArequesterswishingtoutilize001Ssservices.DOl'sproposaltoofferdisputeresolutionbetweenagenciesandFOIArequestersoverstepsitsstatutoryauthority.AsChairmanoftheCommitteeonOversightandOovemmentReform,whichistheprimaryoversightCommitteeoftheU.S.HouseofRepresentativesandhaslegislativejurisdictionovertheFreedomofInformationAct,IamconcernedthatthisproposedmodificationwillhaveanegativeimpactongovernmenttransparencyandcauseunnecessaryconfusionabouttherespectiverolesofDOJand001SundertheAct.Ithereforeaskyoutoreconsidertheproposedmodificationtocomplywithcurrentlaw.Inordertoobtainmoreinformationaboutthismatter,IaskthatyoucoordinatewithmystafftoprovideabriefingtotakeplacenolaterthanApril20,2012.Inaddition,pl.easeprovidetheCommitteewiththefollowingdocumentsandinformationforthetimeperiodfromJanuary12011,tothepresent:1)Alldocumentsandcommunicationsregarding
DOl's
developmentofitsMarch19,2012,PrivacyActnoticeentitled"FreedomoflnformationAct,PrivacyAct,andMandatoryDeclassificationReviewRequestsandAdministrativeAppealsfortheDepartmentofJustice(DOJ-004),includinganydraftversionsofthenoticeandanyinternalcommunicationsabouthowthenoticewasintendedto,orwouldotherwise,affectOOIS'sstatutorilyestablishedFOIAombudsmanrole.2)AlldocumentsandcommunicationsregardingOOIS'sstatutorilyestablishedFOTAdisputeresolutionauthority,includinginternalDOJdiscussionsaboutOOIS'sdisputeresolutionauthorityandDOJemployeecommunicationswithNARAemployeesabout001Ssdisputeresolutionauthority.3)ThefederalstatuteorstatutesthatyoubelievewouldpermitDOJ'sOIP,oranyothercomponentofDOJ,toprovideanytypeofFOIAdisputeresolutionservices.4)ThenamesoftheDOlemployees,andanyfederalcontractemployees,whowereprimarilyresponsiblefordrafting
DOl's
March19notice.Pleaseprovidetherequestedinformationassoonaspossible,butnolaterthanWednesday,April25,2012.WhenproducingdocumentstotheCommittee,pleasedeliverseparateproductionsetstoboththeMajorityStaffinRoom2157oftheRayburnI-louseOfficeBuildingandtheMinorityStaffinRoom2471oftheRayburnHouseOfficeBuilding.TheCommitteeprefers,ifpossible,toreceivealldocumentsinelectronicformat.
 
TheHonorableEricHolderApril11,2012Page3TheCommitteeonOversightandGovernmentReformistheprincipleoversightcommitteeoftheHouseofRepresentativesandmayat"anytime"investigate"anymatter"assetforthinHouseRule
X.
Additionally,theCommitteehaslegislativejurisdictionofpublicinformationandrecords,includingFOlA.AnattachmenttothisletterprovidesadditionalinformationaboutrespondingtotheCommittee'srequest.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardinganyaspectofthisrequest,pleasecontactTeganMillspaworJohnZadroznyoftheCommitteestaffat(202)225-5074.Thankyouforyourpromptattentiontothismatter.ChairmanAttachmentcc:TheHonorableElijahE.Cummings,RankingMinorityMemberCommitteeonOversightandGovernmentReform
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