Congressional Oversight Electronic Storage and Retrieval Act

November 19, 2017  Greg Penglis 

What if all documents created by every Executive department and agency were automatically sent to Congress and put in an electronic storage vault?  

Congress could not read the documents anytime they wanted. They would still have to go through whatever due process, subpoena, or other regular process to acquire the documents first. 

The difference is that once regular process allows for any oversight committee, congressional investigation or hearing, or individual Member of Congress, to see any document, set of documents, audio or video recording, photograph, chart, graphic, or any other electronic entity, they would already be in Congress and would be instantly available via document search, thus making stonewalling or delaying any document transfer impossible since the documents would already be in Congress.

All administration agency and department computers would be tied to the congressional electronic computer internet storage vault, like any online backup service, just that everything is backed up in Congress. 

Any memo or any other document not produced by computer would have to be transferred manually. Failure to do so would result in prison time. One provision could also make the production of documents manually, not by computer, a felony as well.

The purpose of this Act is to stop the endless "stonewalling" by bureaucratic agencies, departments, individuals, or any component or subgroup within any part of the Executive Branch under specific oversight, investigation, budgeting or other review by Congress, from hiding or delaying indefinitely their transfer to Congress.  This would also prevent the destruction or manipulation of information after any such request by Congress.

The Office of the President and executive privilege would be exempt from this Act as there are other means for checks and balances between Congress and the President.

The Judiciary would be exempt from this Act as well because acts of the Judiciary are public record, although future legislation may be required depending on the type and nature of judicial oversight by Congress.

However, neither national security nor classified documents would be exempt.  Members of Congress and various committees and investigations would have all the access to classified materials they do now.  The difference is they would be instantly available for oversight and review.

ENDORSEMENTS:

BILL STATUS:

Email Comments: