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Demand Progress coalition calls for systematic public access to non-confidential CRS reports

Via Demand Progressa national grassroots group – August 24, 2015: “Dear Chairman Blunt, Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Schumer, Ranking Member Brady,and Vice Chairman Harper: We write in support of expanded public access to Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports. Longstanding congressional policy allows Members and committees to use their websites to disseminate CRS products to the public, although CRS itself may not engage in direct public dissemination. This results in a disheartening inequity. Insiders with Capitol Hill connections can easily obtain CRS reports from any of the 20,000 congressional staffers and well-resourced groups can pay for access from subscription services. However, members of the public can access only a small subset of CRS reports that are posted on an assortment of not-for-profitwebsites on an intermittent basis. Now is the time for a systematic solution that provides timely,comprehensive free public access to and preservation of non-confidential reports whileprotecting confidential communications between CRS and Members and committees of Congress…”

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