Legislative action in Congress is intensifying the crackdown on publicly available data. On June 8, the CHOICE Act passed in the House of Representatives. In addition to gutting many core aspects of Dodd-Frank meant to prevent another financial crisis, the law would block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from publishing complaints against banks by consumers. This would be a travesty: It was through such reports that the Wells Fargo fake account scandal surfaced and it remains a crucial way for consumers to have their voices heard.
All of this is a sharp reversal of what had been a long-term trend under Republican and Democratic leadership toward a more transparent and open government. In 1966, the landmark Freedom of Information Act required that federal agencies make their records available to the public upon request, unless they have a compelling reason not to. In 1971, the Federal Election Campaign Act required campaign finance disclosures from candidates running for office. And in 1995, the Lobbying Disclosure Act extended transparency further into the role of money in government.
