Senate passes FOIA reform after Rockefeller's block lifted

Word out of Washington is that Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the retiring West Virginia Democrat, has lifted his objection to the FOIA reform bill. The Hill is reporting that Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, made the announcement on the Senate floor. The Senate passed the bill Monday night, Leahy's office announced. The House would have to approve the bill Thursday, its last chance before Congress adjourns. A joint statement from Leahy and co-sponsor John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said the bill "will help open the government to all Americans by placing an emphasis on openness and transparency, rather than allowing agencies simply to hide behind exemptions."