[govinfo] GovInfo News 7-11-2007

- Cheney standoff with Democrats extends to spending bill
- Bill to Require NIH to Publish Research Online
- Ex-Surgeon General Says White House Hushed Him
- New Blog on Government Contacting
-  "I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy
Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
www.openthegovernment.org
202.332.OPEN (6736)
- Cheney standoff with Democrats extends to spending bill
By Peter Cohn
July 11, 2007

Senate appropriators approved spending bills Tuesday that would cut funding for 
Vice President Dick Cheney's office, while boosting programs ranging from 
consumer product safety to rural air service above the White House's budget 
plan.    But in a rare subcommittee roll-call vote, the panel approved the bill 
5-4 with all Republicans opposed, due to Majority Whip Richard Durbin's move to 
cut funds for Cheney's office.    Durbin, who chairs the Financial Services 
Appropriations Subcommittee, would withhold the $4.4 million requested for the 
Office of the Vice President in fiscal 2008 until Cheney complies with an 
executive order Democrats argue compels him to release classified information 
as a member of the executive branch. more [Gov Exec]

A similar measure to cut funding for the Office of Vice President, introduced 
in the House last month by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, was narrowly defeated on June 28 
by a vote of 209-217.

Links: Durbin Press Release
       Emanuel amendment and Recorded Vote

***
- Bill to Require NIH to Publish Research Online
By Daniel Pulliam
July 10, 2007

The Senate Appropriations Committee has included language in a spending bill 
that would require the National Institutes of Health to make federally funded 
research available to anyone on the Internet.  According to the June 27 report 
for the fiscal 2008 appropriations bill (S.1710), which includes the Department 
of Health and Human Services, all "investigators who are funded by the NIH" 
must "submit an electronic version" of their final peer-reviewed manuscripts, 
which must "be made publicly available" as soon as possible on PubMed Central. 
The manuscript must be published on the Web site no later than 12 months after 
the official date of publication. more [Gov Exec]


***
- Ex-Surgeon General Says White House Hushed Him
By Christopher Lee
Wednesday, July 11, 2007; Page A01

Former surgeon general Richard H. Carmona yesterday accused the Bush 
administration of muzzling him on sensitive public health issues, becoming the 
most prominent voice among several current and former federal science officials 
who have complained of political interference.    "Much of the discussion was 
being driven by theology, ideology, [and] preconceived beliefs that were 
scientifically incorrect," said Carmona, one of three former surgeons general 
who testified at yesterday's hearing. "I thought, 'This is a perfect example of 
the surgeon general being able to step forward, educate the American public.' . 
. . I was blocked at every turn. I was told the decision had already been made 
-- 'Stand down. Don't talk about it.' That information was removed from my 
speeches." more [WPost]

Links:  Video of the Hearing
        Testimony of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop
        Testimony of Surgeon General David Satcher
        Testimony of Surgeon General Richard Carmona


***
- New Blog on Government Contacting

Government, Inc. by Robert O'Harrow.


***

-  "I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy
Daniel J. Solove
George Washington University Law School

Examines the "nothing to hide" argument. When asked about government 
surveillance and data mining, many people respond by declaring: "I've got 
nothing to hide." According to the "nothing to hide" argument, there is no 
threat to privacy unless the government uncovers unlawful activity, in which 
case a person has no legitimate justification to claim that it remain private. 
The "nothing to hide" argument and its variants are quite prevalent, and thus 
are worth addressing. In this essay, Solove critiques the "nothing to hide" 
argument and exposes its faulty underpinnings.

Link: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=998565

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