Here is Tuesdays look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

  • Here is more information on Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and the House Ethics Committee. (National Journal)($) (Roll Call)($) (Politico) (The Hill) (The Washington Post) (The New York Times)
  • The Environmental Protection Agency released raw toxic chemical data early to crowdsource fact-checkers. (nextgov)
  • StreetFilms released a video urging transit authorities to release their data. (techPresident)
  • Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) introduced a bill that would require non-classified government expenditures over $500 to be posted online. (Patrick McHenry)
  • Roll Call has published a CRS report which states that travel reports for lawmakers are useless for determining where they went, how much was spent, and who they travelled with. (Roll Call)($) (The CRS report)
  • Defense firms spent seven percent more in lobbying in the first half on 2010 than in 2009. (National Journal)($)
  • OMB Watch criticized a Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel report that called for more defense spending. (OMB Watch)
  • In an editorial, Marc Thiessen called WikiLeaks a criminal enterprise for leaking documents related to the U.S. operation in Afghanistan. (The Washington Post)
  • The people at the Project On Government Oversight explained what they would have done if WikiLeaks had contacted them about the documents they were preparing to leak. (POGO)
Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 8/3:
  • Protecting the Public Interest: Understanding the Threat of Agency Capture, Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, Tuesday, August 3, 10 am, 226-Dirksen, livestream here
  • Transforming Government Through Innovative Tools and Technology, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, Tuesday, August 3, 2:30 pm, 342-Dirksen, livestream here
Relevant bills introduced:
  • None
Transparency events scheduled for 8/3:
  • None