The report provides a detailed accounting of EPA's actions under the Obama Administration that reveals multiple attempts to hinder the American public's access to transparency within the agency. The report analyzes how Obama's EPA operates in a manner that frustrates oversight and impedes the public's ability to know what their government is up to.

"The Obama Administration has advanced the most aggressive, far-left environmental agenda ever and developed the most secretive, behind-closed-doors way of doing it. And that's not by accident," said U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the EPW Committee. "We still need a heck of a lot more transparency and accountability to make a difference in stopping an agenda that could put our economy further in trouble. Hard-working Americans deserve to know exactly what's being proposed, how the Administration is deriving their proposals, and the impacts EPA's red tape will have on the environment, as well as energy prices and jobs."

The Committee notes that although the Agency has agreed to reform practices as required under records keeping laws, an agreement made with Senate EPW Republicans pursuant to the Gina McCarthy nomination and confirmation process, the Inspector General review is ongoing and such agreement does not obviate outstanding concerns regarding multiple instances of failure to reply or adequately respond to both Congressional and FOIA requests.

Click here to read the EPW Committee Republican Staff Report: A Call for Sunshine: EPA's FOIA and Federal Records Failures Uncovered.

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