Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2012) – Kenneth F. Bunting, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), is scheduled to appear before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the morning of Tuesday, March 13.
The hearing, entitled "The Freedom of Information Act: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure Information and the Public's Right to Know," is to convene at 10:30 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and dovetails with many events occurring in the District of Columbia and nationwide in recognition of Sunshine Week.
While recognizing that there are certain circumstances under which some information regarding critical infrastructure needs to be withheld from the general public, and commending the Senate for inserting language that addressed concerns of overly-aggressive withholdings in last December's National Defense Authorization Act, Bunting will state that "none of the measures we have seen dealing with cybersecurity have similar provisions."
"Protections against threats we might face as a nation need not, and should not, include carte blanche authority for the government to withhold information," Bunting continues, "under an exceedingly broad and ill-defined rubric that tosses aside FOIA's 'strong presumption in favor of disclosure.'"