Sean Moulton

Senior Policy Analyst at the Project on Government Oversight

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

I guess we should have included a recommendation that they shouldn't engage the public about inclusiveness through a closed, secretive process. But I kind of thought it would have been obvious...My mistake.

[Scott Amey @SAmeyJD]

SMH b/c #OIRA sought comments on how to engage the public via a shielded announcement & without any transparency into the comments received. No Federal Register notice and not via https://t.co/jNDIOgEp3U. This process = unengaging! https://t.co/itv9doG2DS

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

So the REINS Act wants to put Congress in charge of approving all major regulations. Because when you ask people to think of efficient governing and objective decision-making they automatically think of the U.S. Congress....wait a second, that's not right.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

I wish more elected officials started at this important point and not obsess over how many pages of regulations we have.

[Bitsy Skerry @BitsySkerry]

Regulations keep society safer, not make it more dangerous. A dangerous society is one without regulation.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

Some great testimony here. Wish you could have been there in person to help Professor Hammond provide some reason to the hearing.

[Sensible Safeguards & Clean Budget @goodregs]

"The REINS Act is a radical threat – one of the most radical in generations – to our government’s ability to protect the public from harm."

Check out written testimony submitted by @Public_Citizen's @BitsySkerry.
https://t.co/Tx2RIy5gjq

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

So happy that my rep @marygayscanlon is making some good common sense points opposing the REINS Act and about the reality that Congress already has plenty of regulatory oversight that it simply doesn't use much. It would be a huge mistake to make them gatekeepers for major regs

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

Professor Hammond is doing a great job. Clear and direct about how the REINS Act will make the regulatory process worse and undercut important protections that save lives.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

Apparently a big concern among supporters of REINS Act is that agency officials who write regs are unelected and that somehow that means they are unaccountable. But they are constrained but administrative laws and can be taken to court (and often are) if they overreach.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

A witness just claimed that agencies are only "technically" part of the executive branch. That they are effectively a new fourth branch unaccountable to even the executive branch. This must be news to the President.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

Regulatory process may be boring to most people but it is an important component of governing.

https://t.co/MoGhZ5PzZc

[Sensible Safeguards & Clean Budget @goodregs]

We're watching this hearing this morning.

These attacks on regulation are wrong, misguided, and harm ordinary people.
https://t.co/PKAYsGK6Ba

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@yaelwrites @maassive Lol. I can't even count how many people write Seth at the top of their emails to me. Occupational hazard when you share a last name and first initial with a sitting member of Congress.

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

Making the frustrations of #FOIA funny! If this works, we should all start working on our music video skills.

[Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson]

Today’s @washingtonpost @tiktok_us brought to you by @dataeditor and FOIA officers https://t.co/fgVDRGFa03

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@resentfultweet @morisy @TWallack It's actually even worse because they only count working days. So that #FOIA response actually took 11.5 years. Almost enough time for you kid to start in first grade and then make it to high school graduation. Does that seem too long?

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

This is a straight-forward fix of #FOIA with bipartisan support. Thanks for the quick action on these issues, let's keep it going and #FixFOIA

[Sen. Patrick Leahy @SenatorLeahy]

Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn And Feinstein Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Reinforce Transparency In Wake Of The Supreme Court’s #FOIA Decision And Recent Regulations -- https://t.co/eBw8TyzRr1

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@NEGordon @lizhempowicz That's the conundrum of my life!

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@lizhempowicz @NEGordon @lizhempowicz has full sarcasm authorization!

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@SafeWorkers @POGOBlog @schwellenbach @Astro_becca @lizhempowicz @mcculloughirvin @samanthafine @US_OSC I think the cultural problems really underpin the lack of success in protecting #whistleblowers. We celebrate retaliation and vindictiveness in so many other situations that it can be difficult to turn around & convey just how wrong and illegal it for #Whistleblowers #POGOchat

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

So true and so unfortunate. Whistleblowers stand up for what is right and the run the very real risk of somehow ruining their reputation in the process. #POGOchat

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@Astro_becca @POGOBlog @schwellenbach @lizhempowicz @mcculloughirvin @samanthafine @SafeWorkers This just blows my mind. "Hey thanks for exposing that waste and fraud. If you worked for a government contractor you'd be protected. But you work for a senator, so you're fired and you can't do anything about it." #POGOchat

[Sean Moulton @SarcasmSean]

@lizhempowicz @POGOBlog @schwellenbach @Astro_becca @mcculloughirvin @samanthafine @SafeWorkers I realize the accuracy of this as an answer but it so frustrating. Being protected for doing the right thing and blowing the whistle on waste fraud or abuse shouldn't depend on where you work.