Approaching the Fiscal Cliff in the Blind

The Sunlight Foundation, along with the Institute for Policy Innovation, OpenTheGovernment.org, Public Citizen and U.S. Public Interest Research Groups sent a letter dated December 10, 2012 to President Obama, Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, Representative Boehner and Representative Pelosi urging them to "ensure that any legislation resulting from the negotiations is online for 72 hours prior to consideration in Congress" and that any side agreements, including promised votes on future legislation, are also made public. In addition, meetings with lobbyists and other influencers attempting to impact the outcome of the negotiations should also be disclosed online in real time.

The text of the letter is published in Lisa Rosenberg's Groups Urge Transparency Around Fiscal Cliff Negotiations on The Sunlight Foundation's blog. On Nota Bene, Emily Lawson offers some useful resources in her Guide to the "Fiscal Cliff". [JH]