OIRA is under constant criticism for failure to disclose all of its discussions with agency officials during their review of a regulation.
Disclosure of such discussions would invite grandstanding not a substantive discussion of the issues.
Much to his credit, Administrator Shelanski made the following statement at a Congressional hearing:
“That executive order has been interpreted across all Administrations –Republic and Democrat—to embody the deliberative process exception of staff level communications and we do not disclose those to the public. It is to protect the integrity of process.”
The Center for Progressive Reform reports:
“Obama’s guy was not budging on this one.”
A welcome relief !
