NMOG Remembers Rep. Elijah Cummings for Steadfast Work for Open Government

By Paul J. Boyle

News Media for Open Government joins those who say goodbye to Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD-7) today, while remembering the popular Maryland leader and his tireless efforts to improve government transparency.

Representative Cummings, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, was presented NMOG’s 2019 Sunshine in Government Award in February for his unwavering efforts in pushing to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act in 2016. He worked on a bipartisan and bicameral basis to write a clear presumption of openness into the law. He and his staff pushed agencies to do all they could to make FOIA work better. He also spent countless hours pushing back on overbroad and unnecessary proposals that would weaken FOIA.

Chairman Cummings consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to transparency, even on the most difficult of topics. His significant contributions to the public’s understanding of open government laws and how these laws impact people’s everyday lives will continue long after his death. His steadfast work to protect the public’s rights under open government laws like FOIA and his contributions to strengthening open government will forever be remembered and appreciated.

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NMOG members have worked together in a nonpartisan manner for over a decade to speak with a united voice to strengthen open government policies and practices. Members of NMOG include: The Associated Press, Association of Alternative Newsmedia, National Association of Broadcasters, National Newspaper Association, News Leaders Association, News Media Alliance, Online News Association, Radio Television Digital News Association, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Society of Professional Journalists.

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