The Congressional Research Service is a part of the legislative branch and is responsible for researching topics on behalf of Congress. They produced the report that I posted last week about why various US Attorneys had been removed before their term expired. They produce a lot of data like that. It has only recently come to my attention that some services were available to essentially subscribe to these reports. The means of dissemination are a bit murky, as your congresscritter can get them for you, but you can’t just walk up and request them, nor can you just use the Interwebz to download them from the CRS website. I have been grabbing them from Secrecy News.
Today Secrecy News reports that CRS is clamping down on distribution of this information, generated from public data and compiled by public servants for our elected officials. Here is the memo from CRS’ director to staff. This is a blow to openness in Government.