House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa said tonight that the Department of Labor should back off its controversial proposal to make reporters use government computers and software to report new unemployment data.
“The Department of Labor needs to reverse course on this wrong-headed policy change,” said Issa. “And if they fail to do so, the White House must intervene. The president is ultimately responsible when a cabinet department embarks on an initiative that runs counter to both his own promises and the First Amendment.”
Issa’s statement comes on the eve of a hearing tomorrow before his panel at which Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis declined to testify on the proposal. Carl Fillichio, her senior communications advisor and the main author of the proposal, will instead have to face what is likely to be tough questions from Issa and other Republicans on the committee.
In his preview statement tonight, Issa accused DOL of jeopardizing “the integrity of employment data- in some cases for clearly political reasons.” He added that “the abrupt nature of this change coupled with the absence of a clear explanation and a lack of public input raises key questions about who made the decision to implement this change and why.”
Go here for the rest of the Issa statement. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland is the committee’s ranking Democrat.
For additional information on the “Lockups” issue, see:
DOL forcing media to use government computers
DOL won’t explain why media must use its computers
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing release
Obama is pulling down the shades on union financial disclosure
Trouble brewing for Labor’s Solis
