February 6, 2008 FAX FROM: Timothy Wheeler President, Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) TO: Members of the Appropriations Committee United States Senate: Sen. Byrd Sen. Cochran Sen. Reid Sen. McConnell Sen. Specter SEJ is the world's largest and oldest organization of individual working journalists covering environmental issues. Founded in 1990, SEJ consists of more than 1,300 journalists, educators and students dedicated to improving the quality, accuracy and visibility of environmental new reporting. Working through its First Amendment Task Force and WatchDog Program, SEJ addresses freedom of information, right-to-know, and other news-gathering issues of concern to journalists reporting on environmental topics. I am writing to express SEJ's concern about language in the Bush administration's proposed FY2009 budget that shifts funding for a new Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to the Office of Information and Privacy at the Department of Justice. The OPEN Government Act established OGIS specifically at NARA. It did so because of concerns that DOJ has the responsibility to defend government agency clients in litigation brought by public records requesters, creating a conflict of interest. Congress specifically directed the creation of an ombudsman office apart from the Department of Justice. The new office was established with strong bipartisan support. We strongly oppose this effort to use the budget process to undermine Congressional intent and flout a specific statutory mandate. Sincerely, Timothy Wheeler President, Society of Environmental Journalists