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maeliingtuu, E6 211515

January 23, 2019

The Honorable David Bernhardt
Acting Secretary

US. Department of the Interior
1849 Street NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Acting Secretary Bernhardt:

1 am writing to request an extension of the public comment period regarding proposed
revisions to1 the Department of the Interim (D01) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
regulations. I also urge D01 to schedule public hearings around the proposed 1evisions.

On December 28, 2018, the U. S. Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed signi?cant
revisions to its FOIA regulations. The revisions would undermine govermnent transparency and
impose more burdens 011 Americans who are seeking information from federal agencies. They run
counter to the spirit, if not the letter of OIA.

When faced with a decision about how to address a backlog of over 3000 FOIA requests,3
greater transparency, not less, is the path of good governance. The proposed changes will reduce
the amount of information released under FOIA rather than making the necessary changes,
including staff changes, to ensure that the demand for 01A requests is met in accordance with
the law. In addition to the impediments to full disclosure outlined in the regulation, the very launch
of the regulation appears to have been intended to further impede full disclosure.

The proposal was published on a Friday during a government shutdown and during the
holiday season, a time when many Americans were taking time to focus on their families. The
proposal provides only 30 days for the public to comment. For a rulemaking with such signi?cant
implications, when time has been lost to the holiday season, and when the government shutdown
inhibits the public?s ability to participate, Americans need 120 days after the end of the shutdown
to review and provide comments. 1 also urge DOI to reach out directly to the American public by
holding hearings about the proposal.

Americans deserve an opportunity to be fully engaged in proposed rulemaking in an
informed and meaningful manner. They are being denied that Opportunity.

I look forward to your response.

 

183 FED. REG. 67175

3 Id

3 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, FY 2018 FOIA QUARTERLY REPORT 4 (2018).
doi. 

1

ON RECYCLED PAPER

Sincerely,

 

Raul M. Grij alva
Chairman
Committee on Natural Resources