[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1429-S1433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 21--DIRECTING THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS TO PROVIDE 
 INTERNET ACCESS TO CERTAIN CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING CERTAIN 
 CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE PUBLICATIONS, SENATE LOBBYING AND GIFT 
        REPORT FILINGS, AND SENATE AND JOINT COMMITTEE DOCUMENTS

  Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lott,  and Mr. Lieberman) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Rules and Administration.

                               S. Res. 21

       Whereas it is the sense of the Senate that--

[[Page S1430]]

       (1) it is often burdensome, difficult, and time-consuming 
     for citizens to obtain access to public records of the United 
     States Congress;
       (2) congressional documents that are placed in the 
     Congressional Record are made available to the public 
     electronically by the Superintendent of Documents under the 
     direction of the Public Printer;
       (3) other congressional documents are also made available 
     electronically on websites maintained by Members of Congress 
     and Committees of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives;
       (4) a wide range of public records of the Congress remain 
     inaccessible to the public;
       (5) the public should have easy and timely access, 
     including electronic access, to public records of the 
     Congress;
       (6) the Congress should use new technologies to enhance 
     public access to public records of the Congress; and
       (7) an informed electorate is the most precious asset of 
     any democracy; and

       Whereas it is the sense of the Senate that it will foster 
     democracy--
       (1) to ensure public access to public records of the 
     Congress;
       (2) to improve public access to public records of the 
     Congress; and
       (3) to enhance the electronic public access, including 
     access via the Internet, to public records of the Congress: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate shall 
     make information available to the public in accordance with 
     the provisions of this resolution.

     SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN CRS INFORMATION.

       (a) Availability of Information.--
       (1) In general.--The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in 
     consultation with the Director of the Congressional Research 
     Service, shall make available through a centralized 
     electronic database, for purposes of access and retrieval by 
     the public under section 4 of this resolution, all 
     information described in paragraph (2) that is available 
     through the Congressional Research Service website.
       (2) Information to be made available.--The information to 
     be made available under paragraph (1) is:
       (A) Congressional Research Service Issue Briefs.
       (B) Congressional Research Service Reports that are 
     available to Members of Congress through the Congressional 
     Research Service website.
       (C) Congressional Research Service Authorization of 
     Appropriations Products and Appropriations Products.
       (b) Limitations.--
       (1) Confidential information.--Subsection (a) does not 
     apply to--
       (A) any information that is confidential, as determined 
     by--
       (i) the Director; or
       (ii) the head of a Federal department or agency that 
     provided the information to the Congressional Research 
     Service; or
       (B) any documents that are the product of an individual, 
     office, or committee research request (other than a document 
     described in subsection (a)(2)).
       (2) Redaction and revision.--In carrying out this section, 
     the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in consultation with the 
     Director of the Congressional Research Service, may--
       (A) remove from the information required to be made 
     available under subsection (a) the name and phone number of, 
     and any other information regarding, an employee of the 
     Congressional Research Service;
       (B) remove from the information required to be made 
     available under subsection (a) any material for which the 
     Director determines that making it available under subsection 
     (a) may infringe the copyright of a work protected under 
     title 17, United States Code; and
       (C) make any changes in the information required to be made 
     available under subsection (a) that the Director determines 
     necessary to ensure that the information is accurate and 
     current.
       (c) Manner.--The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in 
     consultation with the Director of the Congressional Research 
     Service, shall make information required to be made available 
     under this section in a manner that--
       (1) is practical and reasonable; and
       (2) does not permit the submission of comments from the 
     public.

     SEC. 3. PUBLIC RECORDS OF THE CONGRESS.

       (a) Senate.--The Secretary of the Senate, through the 
     Office of Public Records and in accordance with such 
     standards as the Secretary may prescribe, shall make 
     available on the Internet for purposes of access and 
     retrieval by the public:
       (1) Lobbyist disclosure reports.--Lobbyist disclosure 
     reports required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 
     U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) within 90 days (Saturdays, Sundays, and 
     holidays excepted) after they are received.
       (2) Gift rule disclosure reports.--Senate gift rule 
     disclosure reports required under paragraph 2 and paragraph 
     4(b) of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate within 
     5 days (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted) after they 
     are received.
       (b) Directory.--The Superintendent of Documents, under the 
     Direction of the Public Printer in the Government Printing 
     Office, shall include information about the documents made 
     available on the Internet under this section in the 
     electronic directory of Federal electronic information 
     required by section 4101(a)(1) of title 44, United States 
     Code.

     SEC. 4. METHOD OF ACCESS.

       (a) In General.--The information required to be made 
     available to the public on the Internet under this resolution 
     shall be made available as follows:
       (1) CRS information.--Public access to information made 
     available under section 2 shall be provided through the 
     websites maintained by Members and Committees of the Senate.
       (2) Public records.--Public access to information made 
     available under section 3 by the Secretary of the Senate's 
     Office of Public Records shall be provided through the United 
     States Senate website.
       (b) Editorial Responsibility for CRS Reports Online.--The 
     Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate is responsible for maintaining 
     and updating the information made available on the Internet 
     under section 2.

     SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE MATERIALS.

       It is the sense of the Senate that each standing and 
     special Committee of the Senate and each Joint Committee of 
     the Congress, in accordance with such rules as the committee 
     may adopt, should provide access via the Internet to 
     publicly-available committee information, documents, and 
     proceedings, including bills, reports, and transcripts of 
     committee meetings that are open to the public.

     SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION.

       The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate shall establish the 
     database described in section 2(a) within 6 months after the 
     date of adoption of this resolution.

     SEC. 7. GAO STUDY.

       (a) In General.--Beginning 1 year after the date on which 
     the database described in section 2(a) is established, the 
     Sergeant-at-Arms shall request the Comptroller General to 
     examine the cost of implementing this resolution, other than 
     this section, with particular attention to the cost of 
     establishing and maintaining the database and submit a report 
     within 6 months thereafter. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall ask 
     the Comptroller General to include in the report 
     recommendations on how to make operations under this 
     resolution more cost-effective, and such other 
     recommendations for administrative changes or changes in law, 
     as the Comptroller General may determine to be appropriate.
       (b) Delivery.--The Sergeant-at-Arms shall transmit a copy 
     of the Comptroller General's report under subsection (a) to:
       (1) The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
       (2) The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.
       (3) The Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
       (4) The Joint Committee of the Congress on the Library of 
     Congress.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I would like to introduce a resolution to 
make selected Congressional Research Service products, lobbyist 
disclosure reports, and Senate gift disclosure forms available over the 
Internet for the American people. This bipartisan legislation is 
sponsored by Senators Leahy, Lott and Lieberman.
  The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is well known for producing 
high-quality reports and issue briefs that are concise, factual, and 
unbiased--a rarity in Washington. Many of us have used these products 
to make decisions on a wide variety of legislative proposals 
considering issues as diverse as Amtrak reform, the future of the 
Internet, health care reform, and tax policy. Also, we routinely send 
these products to our constituents in order to help them understand the 
important issues of our time.
  My colleagues and I believe that it is important that the public 
should have access to this CRS information. The American public will 
pay $73.4 million to fund CRS' operations for the fiscal year 2001. The 
material covered in this resolution is not confidential or classified, 
and the public should be able to see that their money is well spent.
  The Senate will serve two crucial functions by allowing the public to 
access this information over the Internet. First, it will help to fight 
a growing public cynicism about our government. According to a January 
10-14, 2001, Gallup poll, the American public listed dissatisfaction 
with the Congress, government leadership, and the government in general 
as one of the ``most important problems facing the country today.'' By 
making these unbiased documents available online, the Senate will allow 
the public to see the factors that influence our decisions and votes. 
These documents will provide the public a more accurate view of the 
Congressional decision-making, and dispel some of the notions about 
Congress that create this cynicism.
  In addition, the Senate will serve the important function of 
informing their constituents by making these CRS products available 
online. Members of the public will be able to read these

[[Page S1431]]

CRS products and receive a concise, accurate summary of issues that 
concern them. As their elected representatives, we should strive to 
promote a better informed and educated public. Educated voters are best 
able to make decisions and petition their legislators on how to 
accurately represent them.
  I would like to point out that these products are already available 
on the Internet. ``Black market'' private vendors are charging up to 
$49 for a single report. Other web sites have outdated CRS products on 
them. It is not fair for the American people to have to pay a third 
party for out-of-date products for which they have already footed the 
bill.
  This resolution is different from legislation that I authored last 
Congress. The House of Representatives has started a pilot program to 
make CRS products electronically available to the public. This 
resolution is drafted to set up a system identical to the House 
program. The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms will establish and maintain the 
database of CRS documents through the Senate Computer Center. The 
public will only be able to access these documents through Senators or 
Senate Committee's web pages. This system will allow Senators and 
Committee Chairmen to be able to choose which documents are made 
available to the public through their web page.
  This change will ensure that only the Senate is directly involved in 
making CRS products available to the public. This change to the bill 
will ensure that the CRS' mission is not altered in any way, and that 
it cannot be open to liability suits. I ask unanimous consent to 
include a letter from Mr. Stanley M. Brand, a former General Counsel to 
the House of Representatives, who states that ``nothing in the 
resolution will alter or modify applicability of the Speech or Debate 
Clause protections to CRS products.'' In addition, Senators will be 
able to inform their constituents about how we are helping them here in 
Washington.
  This resolution also includes other safeguards to ensure that CRS is 
protected from public interference. Confidential information and 
reports done for confidential research requests will not be made 
available to the public. The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms may remove the 
names of CRS employees from these products to prevent the public from 
distracting CRS employees. In addition, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms may 
remove copyrighted information from the publicly-available reports. In 
the past, we have been informed that CRS may not have permission to 
release copyrighted information over the Internet. Currently, reports 
with copyrighted information may be posted over the House system. 
However, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms may remove this information if it 
is necessary in the future.
  Finally, we are aware that cost concerns have been raised about 
versions of this legislation introduced in earlier Congresses. Our 
understanding is that the House system of distribution has been 
achieved at a relatively low cost. This resolution will eliminate the 
cost burden to CRS by shifting the operation and maintenance of the 
database over to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. In addition, the Senate 
Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to ask the General Accounting Office to 
evaluate the program after one year to examine how to make the 
operations more cost-effective.
  The resolution also requires the Senate Office of Public Records to 
place lobbyist disclosure forms and Senate gift disclosure forms on the 
Internet. We have already voted to make this information available to 
the public. Unfortunately, the public can only get access to this 
information through an office in the Hart building. These provisions 
will allow our constituents throughout the country to access this 
information. It is important to recognize the Senate Office of Public 
Records for setting up a system of online lobbying registration. The 
Senate can aid this office in its groundbreaking work by enacting this 
resolution.
  This legislation has been endorsed by many groups including AOL Time 
Warner, the Congressional Accountability Project, Intel, the Center for 
Democracy and Technology, the American Library Association, Real 
Networks, Inc. and the National Federation of Press Women. Mr. 
President, I ask unanimous consent that these letters of support be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objective it is so ordered.
  (See Exhibit 1.)
  Mr. McCAIN. In conclusion, we would like to urge our colleagues to 
join us in supporting this legislation. The Internet offers us a unique 
opportunity to allow the American people to have everyday access to 
important information about their government. We are sure you agree 
that a well-informed electorate can best govern our great country.

                               Exhibit 1


                                               Brand & Frulla,

                                 Washington, DC, February 6, 2001.
     Hon. John McCain,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and 
         Transportation, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McCain: I am writing to address the provisions 
     of a draft Senate Resolution which I understand you intend to 
     introduce directing the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to provide 
     Internet access to certain public congressional and 
     Congressional Research Service documents. This resolution is 
     substantially the same as a bill you introduced in 1998 to 
     make certain of the same documents available on the Internet.
       By letter dated January 27, 1998, I commented extensively 
     on the impact of this substantially identical legislation 
     upon applicability of the Speech or Debate Clause, U.S. 
     Const., art. I Sec. 6, cl. 1, to CRS products.
       I concluded then, and reaffirm that nothing in the 
     resolution will alter or modify applicability of the Speech 
     or Debate Clause protections to CRS products.
       There is one sense in which your revised resolution may 
     actually strengthen the protections of the Clause for CRS 
     products. By lodging responsibility in the Sergeant-at-Arms 
     for providing access, you have retained in a legislative 
     officer, as opposed to the CRS, the power to make 
     determinations concerning accessibility. The Sergeant-at-
     Arms, is a ``[r]anking nonmember'' of the Senate and one of 
     the statutory ``officers of the Congress,'' Buckley v. Valeo, 
     424 U.S. 1, 128 (1975) and 2 U.S.C. Sec. 60-1(b) and there 
     can be, therefore, no doubt about the Senate's intent to 
     repose in one of its officers the power to control its 
     privileges.
       In doing so, you have, as a practical matter as well, given 
     the Senate more direct control over access to CRS matters. 
     See United States v. Hoffa, 205 F. Supp. 710, 723 (S.D. Fla. 
     1962) (cert. denied sub nom Hoffa v. Lieb, 371 U.S. 892 
     (invocation of legislative privilege by the United States 
     Senate conclusive upon judicial branch). Given that any 
     putative litigant seeking to obtain privileged CRS documents 
     would have to actually serve process upon the Seregeant-at-
     Arms to obtain documents under the revised resolution, it is 
     even less likely under the revised resolution that a party 
     could obtain disclosure of such documents.
           Sincerely,
     Stanley M. Brand.
                                  ____



                                              AOL Time Warner,

                                 Washington, DC, February 5, 2001.
     Hon. John McCain,
     Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, 
         U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Patrick J. Leahy,
     Ranking Minority Member, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. 
         Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCain and Senator Leahy: On behalf of AOL 
     Time Warner, we write to express our support for your Senate 
     Resolution directing the Sergeant-at-Arms to provide Internet 
     access to certain Congressional documents, including certain 
     Congressional Research Service publications, Senate lobbying 
     and gift report filings, and Senate and Joint Committee 
     documents.
       The Internet is one of our society's most powerful tools 
     for education and communication, and its tremendous growth 
     continues. We, like you, believe that this medium offers an 
     unprecedented opportunity to connect individuals to the 
     political process--by helping people become more informed 
     citizens, by helping our government be more responsive to 
     them, and by engaging more people in public policy 
     discussions and debate.
       Your resolution recognizes that the ability of citizens to 
     access public records and to obtain research materials on 
     public policy issues is crucial to a robust and successful 
     democratic system, and that the Internet can serve as a 
     powerful resource for information about our government and 
     our political process. We believe that your legislation will 
     help to further democracy by ensuring online access to 
     Congressional documents and records.
       We appreciate your leadership on this important issue and 
     your continued leadership on technology-related matters. We 
     look forward to working with you closely in the 107th 
     Congress.
           Sincerely,
     Jill Lesser,
       Senior Vice President, Domestic Public Policy.
     Elizabeth Frazee,
       Vice President, Domestic Policy & Congressional Relations.

[[Page S1432]]

     
                                  ____
                                           The National Federation


                                         of Press Women, Inc.,

                                  Arlington, VA, February 2, 2001.
     Hon. John McCain,
     Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and 
         Transportation, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McCain: The National Federation of Press Women 
     would like to express its support for legislation to 
     establish a centralized, public database for Congressional 
     Research Service reports.
       NFPW, which represents more than 2,000 journalists, 
     educators and professional communicators in the United 
     States, last year supported S. 393, introduced by Sen. 
     Patrick Leahy and yourself. Our members have sent notes of 
     interest and concern to many senators to explain why this 
     effort is important.
       CRS reports are an invaluable resource to journalists. They 
     provide the nation's best backgrounders on legislation. They 
     help journalists to illuminate that wonderful sense of 
     ``history on the run,'' as former Washington Post publisher 
     Philip Graham once described the products of our craft.
       But a CRS report's value to the public through the news 
     media today is only as good as the luck of the reporter. 
     Since the reports are not easily found, nor reliably 
     catalogued in any public forum, a journalist often stumbles 
     upon them in the course of other research, or learns of them 
     only when a source reveals their existence. While the Members 
     of Congress are forthcoming with assistance with these 
     reports when asked, often the rush of deadlines outstrips the 
     mail--and even the fax machine. A report undiscovered, or 
     discovered too late for the story, offers nothing to the 
     reader or viewer.
       As publisher emeritus of a small daily newspaper in Kansas, 
     I can assure you that this legislation would serve the 
     interests of the public by providing our local reporters with 
     the same access that well-funded Washington news bureaus 
     have. And that will go a long way toward enhancing the 
     credibility of the legislative process. Polls do tend to show 
     that local press are better trusted by the citizenry than the 
     national media. We bring the national news home. Your 
     legislation can help us to do that.
       New technologies now offer an ideal avenue for improved 
     access. Not only journalists, but authors, historians, 
     researchers, teachers and students will find a mother lode of 
     useful information when CRS reports become electronically 
     accessible. If the reports can be accessed through the 
     websites of the Members, they likely will drive traffic to 
     those sites, and that will further enhance the value of the 
     Members' websites to the public.
       NFPW urges you to continue to push forward with legislation 
     to bring CRS reports to the Internet and to allow the public 
     and press to share in the full value of this publicly-
     supported information service.
           Sincerely,
     Vivien Sadowski.
                                  ____



                                     Intel Government Affairs,

                                 Washington, DC, February 6, 2001.
     Hon. John McCain,
     Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & 
         Transportation, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCain: I write to affirm the support of 
     Intel Corporation for your proposed Senate resolution 
     regarding the maintenance of an electronic database through 
     which the public would be able to access CRS reports to 
     Congress, issue brief, and other products over the Internet. 
     I note that your current initiative follows up on legislation 
     that you introduced last Congress (S. 393) that would have 
     mandated such action.
       We have supported your efforts to achieve such public 
     access in the past, and we are pleased that you have once 
     again taken the initiative on this matter.
       We believe that convenient electronic access to public 
     documents upon which the Congress relies in performing its 
     legislative and oversight functions serves to strengthen 
     accountability of government to the people as well as the 
     public's faith in the legislative process. We hope to see 
     early action on your resolution in this session of the 107th 
     Congress.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Douglas B. Comer,
     Director, Legal Affairs.
                                  ____

                                      Congressional Accountability


                                                      Project,

                                 Washington, DC, February 6, 2001.
     Senator John McCain,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Senator Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators McCain and Leahy: We heartily endorse your 
     Congressional Openness Resolution, which would require the 
     U.S. Senate to put key congressional documents on the 
     Internet, including Congressional Research Service (CRS) 
     Reports and Issue Briefs, CRS Authorization and 
     Appropriations products, lobbyist disclosure reports and 
     Senate gift disclosure reports. Your resolution is a cheap 
     and simple way to improve our democracy.
       Citizens need access to these congressional documents to 
     discharge their civic duties. CRS reports are some of the 
     best research conducted by the federal government. Your 
     resolution would put about 2700-2800 of these useful reports 
     on the Internet. Placing lobbyist disclosure reports on the 
     Internet would help citizens to track patterns of influence 
     in Congress, and to discover who is paying whom how much to 
     lobby on what issues.
       Taxpayers will be cheered that you have included a Sense of 
     the Senate resolution that Senate and Joint Committees should 
     ``provide access via the Internet to publicly-available 
     committee information, documents and proceedings, including 
     bills, reports and transcripts of committee meetings that are 
     open to the public.'' We taxpayers pay dearly to produce 
     these documents; we ought to be able to read them, for free, 
     on the Internet.
       In 1822, James Madison explained why citizens must have 
     government information: ``A popular Government, without 
     popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a 
     Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both. Knowledge 
     will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be 
     their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which 
     knowledge gives.''
       The Congressional Openess Resolution honors the spirit of 
     Madison's words. Thank you for your efforts to place 
     congressional documents available on the Internet.
           Sincerely,
         Alliance for Democracy, American Association of Law 
           Libraries, American Conservative Union, American 
           Federation of Government Employees, American Society of 
           Newspaper Editors, Better Government Association, 
           Center for Democracy and Technology, Center for Media 
           Education, Center for Responsive Politics, Common 
           Cause, Computer Professional for Social Responsibility, 
           Congressional Accountability Project, Consumer 
           Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 
           Electronic Privacy Information Center, Federation of 
           American Scientists, Friends of the Earth, Government 
           Accountability Project, National Newspaper Association, 
           National Security Archive, National Taxpayers Union, 
           OMB Watch, Progressive Asset Management Inc., Project 
           on Government Oversight, Public Citizen, RealNetworks, 
           Inc., Reform Party of the USA, Regional Reporters 
           Association, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the 
           Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Taxpayers 
           for Common Sense, U.S. Public Interest Research Group 
           (USPIRG).
                                  ____



                                 American Library Association,

                                 Washington, DC, February 6, 2001.
     Senator John McCain,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McCain: We support your proposal to make 
     reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) 
     publicly available. We want to endorse your efforts to assure 
     public access to a broad range of government information. The 
     CRS reports are well researched and balanced products 
     addressing a wide variety of current issues.
       We believe that these unique and valued resources should be 
     available to scholars and researchers as well as the general 
     public through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). 
     The FDLP already provides a network of libraries throughout 
     the country that serve the public by providing access to 
     Federal government information. Utilizing the FDLP as well as 
     Internet resources provides great public benefit through 
     access to the CRS reports.
       ALA has long standing policies about these issues of broad 
     access to government information. We have attached a 
     resolution supporting your earlier efforts pressing for 
     access to this publicly supported research. We will also 
     encourage our members to support your proposal.
       As you know, the American Library Association is a 
     nonprofit educational organization of over 60,000 librarians, 
     library educators, information specialists, library trustees, 
     and friends of libraries representing public, school, 
     academic, state, and specialized libraries. ALA is dedicated 
     to the improvement of library and information services, to 
     the public's right to a free and open information society--
     intellectual participation--and to the idea of intellectual 
     freedom.
       ALA's previous resolution encouraged the appropriate 
     Congressional committees to ``take immediate action to assure 
     that the publicly released Congressional Research Service 
     reports and information products are distributed in a timely 
     manner to the general public through Federal Depository 
     libraries and on the Internet.''
       Attached is a copy of the complete resolution. We thank you 
     for your efforts on this issue and look forward to working 
     with you and your staff as this proposal moves forward.
           Sincerely,

                                                Lynne Bradley,

                                           Director, ALA Office of
     Government Relations.
                                  ____



                                 American Library Association,

                                    Washington, DC, Jan. 14, 1998.


       resolution on congressional research service publications

       Whereas, equitable and timely access to information created 
     by the government is an important tenet of a free and 
     democratic society; and
       Whereas, Title 44 of the U.S. Code mandates provision of 
     publications to Federal Depository Libraries; and
       Whereas, the 104th and 105th Congresses have a made a 
     concerted effort to increase public access to Congressional 
     information through the Internet; and
       Whereas, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) produces 
     reports and information

[[Page S1433]]

     products at the request of Members of Congress; and
       Whereas, CRS reports are well researched and balanced 
     products addressing a wide variety of current issues; and
       Whereas, the CRS produces and Congress releases reports 
     that are not made available to the Government Printing Office 
     for distribution to Federal Depository Libraries nor made 
     available to the public on the Internet; and
       Whereas, many of these reports are released to various 
     individuals or groups by Members of Congress but not made 
     available to the public; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the American Library Association urge that 
     the Joint Committee on the Library, the Senate Rules and 
     Administration Committee, and the House Oversight Committee 
     take immediate action to assure that publicly released 
     Congressional Research Service reports and information 
     products are distributed in a timely manner to the general 
     public through Federal Depository Libraries and on the 
     Internet.
         Adopted by the Council of the American Library 
           Association, New Orleans, LA, January 14, 1998.

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join today with Senator 
McCain to introduce a Senate resolution to provide Internet Access to 
important Congressional documents.
  Our bipartisan resolution makes certain Congressional Research 
Service products, lobbyist disclosure reports and Senate gift 
disclosure reports available over the Internet to the American people.
  The Congressional Research Service, CRS, has a well-known reputation 
for producing high-quality reports and information briefs that are 
unbiased, concise, and accurate. The taxpayers of this country, who pay 
$67 million a year to fund the CRS, deserve speedy access to these 
public resources and have a right to see that their money is being 
spent well.
  The goal of our legislation is to allow every citizen the same access 
to the wealth of CRS information as a Member of Congress enjoys today. 
CRS performs invaluable research and produces first-rate reports on 
hundreds of topics. American taxpayers have every right to direct 
access to these wonderful resources.
  Online CRS reports will serve an important role in informing the 
public. Members of the public will be able to read these CRS products 
and receive a concise, accurate summary of the issues before the 
Congress. As elected representatives, we should do what we can to 
promote an informed, educated public. The educated voter is best able 
to make decisions and petition us to do the right things here in 
Congress.
  Our legislation follows the model online CRS program in the House of 
Representatives and ensures that private CRS products will remain 
protected by giving the CRS Director the authority to hold back any 
products that are deemed confidential. Moreover, the Director may 
protect the identity of CRS researchers and any copyrighted material. 
We can do both--protect confidential material and empower our citizens 
through electronic access to invaluable CRS products.
  In addition, the bipartisan resolution would provide public online 
access to lobbyist reports and gift disclosure forms. At present, these 
public records are available in the Senate Office of Public Records in 
Room 232 of the Hart Building. As a practical matter, these public 
records are accessible only to those inside the Beltway.
  I applaud the Office of Public Records for recently making 
technological history in the Senate by providing for lobbying 
registrations through the Internet. The next step is to provide the 
completed lobbyist disclosure reports on the Internet for all Americans 
to see.
  The Internet offers us a unique opportunity to allow the American 
people to have everyday access to this public information. Our 
bipartisan legislation would harness the power of the Information Age 
to allow average citizens to see these public records of the Senate in 
their official form, in context and without editorial comment. All 
Americans should have timely access to the information that we already 
have voted to give them.
  And all of these reports are indeed ``public'' for those who can 
afford to hire a lawyer or lobbyist or who can afford to travel to 
Washington to come to the Office of Public Records in the Hart Building 
and read them. That is not very public. That does not do very much for 
the average voter in Vermont or the rest of this country outside of 
easy reach of Washington. That does not meet the spirit in which we 
voted to make these materials public, when we voted ``disclosure'' 
laws.
  We can do better, and this resolution does better. Any citizen in any 
corner of this country with access to a computer at home or the office 
or at the public library will be able to get on the Internet and get 
these important Congressional documents under our resolution. It allows 
individual citizens to check the facts, to make comparisons, and to 
make up their own minds.
  I commend the Senior Senator from Arizona for his leadership on 
opening public access to Congressional documents. I share his desire 
for the American people to have electronic access to many more 
Congressional resources. I look forward to working with him in the days 
to let the information age open up the halls of Congress to all our 
citizens.
  As Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``Information is the currency of 
democracy.'' Our democracy is stronger if all citizens have equal 
access to at least that type of currency, and that is something which 
Members on both sides of the aisle can celebrate and join in.
  This bipartisan resolution is an important step in informing and 
empowering American citizens. I urge my colleagues to join us in 
supporting this legislation to make available useful Congressional 
information to the American people.

                          ____________________