CREW citizens for responsibility and ethics in washington January 18,2011 Honorable Darrell B. Issa Chairman House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives 2137 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 BYFAX: — 202-225-3974 Dear Chairman Issa: On January 7, 201 1, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent you a letter respectfully requesting that you post online all of the 150 letters you sent to ‘companies, trade groups, and research organizations requesting information on federal regulations that negatively impact the economy and jobs. CREW further requested that you post online any responses you receive. In response to CREW’s letter, your spokesperson, Kurt Bardella, told The Hill you “fully intend[]” to release the responses once you and your staff “have had the chance to analyze the suggestions.”! Several press reports indicate the committee has received some responses to its requests. For example, the Commodity Markets Council, the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute all responded, identifying regulations to which they object? Further, given that you requested a response by January 10", you likely have received other letters not reported in the media, On January 14", during a House Republican retreat, you said your committee has received a number of good leads from responses to your letters.’ ‘Nevertheless, not a single response to your letter can be found on the committee's website, ' Susan Crabtree, Oversight Head to Release Business Requests for Regulation Rollbacks, The Hill, January 10, 2011 * See Brian Scheid, CMC Wants US CFTC to Slow Down Dodd-Frank Rulemaking, Platts, January 14, 2011; Kate Sheppard, Love Letters to Darrell Issa, Mother Jones, January 13, 2011; Brian Beutler, Major Trade Association Asks Issa to Curb Toxin. Safety. Financial Reform Regs, 7PM, January 12, 2011. 5 Alan K. Ota, Issa Plans to Probe Government's Effect on Job Losses with Focus on IRS and EPA, CQ Today Online News, January 17, 2011. 1400 Eye Street, NW, Sule 450, Washington, D.C. 20005 | 202.408.5865 phone | 202.588.5020 tax | wnwcizensfretics org =Honorable Darrell E. Issa January 18, 2011 Page Two ‘The admirable commitment you have made toward bringing greater transparency to government makes it incumbent upon you to publicize the responses you receive to your requests ina timely fashion. Only if Americans are fully aware of industry concerns can we judge whether and to what extent a congressional response is appropriate. As you know, some have expressed concerns about the goals and motives of your committee and public confidence in Congress is at an all time low. By providing full information about your committee’s activities, including the committee’s interactions with industry and interest groups, you have the opportunity to demonstrate your dedication to transparency and accountability and, at the same time, to increase public confidence in the legislative process. CREW looks forward to your response. fié Sloan Executive Director