McKeon Promises Transparent Mark-up Process

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), House Armed Services Committee chairman, has pledged to provide “a new level of transparency” as the committee begins marking up the Fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill this week. The committee will “post all bill language online the day before” the full committee or one of its subcommittees considers it, states a HASC release. This will represent a major break in the past practice of posting the detailed summary only after the full committee approved the legislation, states the release. “This new effort by Chairman McKeon is meant to ensure that American taxpayers are investing and equipping a modernized military force in the most efficient and transparent way possible,” reads the release. The HASC’s mark-up process begins on Wednesday, meaning the first documents will be posted on Tuesday at the committee’s website, according to the release.