Reorganizing the Executive Branch data

Alexander Rony filed this request with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget of the United States of America.
Tracking #

17-292
Submitted June 15, 2017
Status
Completed

Communications

From: Alexander Rony

Subject: Freedom of Information Request: Reorganizing the Executive Branch data

Email

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

I. Background Information

On March 13, 2017, Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13781, a "Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch." Shortly thereafter, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a web form to collect ideas and suggestions from the public. This web form, which was open until June 12, was located at https://www.whitehouse.gov/reorganizing-the-executive-branch.

II. Description of Records Sought

I hereby request the following records under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Data from the "Reorganizing the Executive Branch" web form. Please export to a flat file, preferably a CSV or XLS spreadsheet.
2. Summaries, reports, and recommendations that were based on the web form data and created between June 12, 2017 and the date this request is processed.

Although I would expect your agency would do this normally, please exclude or redact web form respondents' personally-identifiable information. I would prefer the request be filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

III. Request for a Fee Waiver

I respectfully request that you waive all fees in connection with this request as provided by 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii). The Sierra Club is a national environmental nonprofit with no commercial interest in obtaining the requested information. Instead, our organization intends to analyze and disseminate the requested information free of charge so that the public can meaningfully participate in debates over the proper size and scope of our nation's federal government.

The subject matter of the requested records is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government by disclosing how federal agencies and offices may be reformed or eliminated. It will also show which suggestions the government chooses to accept or ignore. Rejected suggestions may resurface as alternative proposals as Congress debates budgetary and other matters that relate to this restructuring process.

The Sierra Club and its supporters have demonstrated interest and expertise in the subject area, as the organization's staff have made many recommendations regarding reforms to troubled agencies and programs. Our supporters' advocacy has helped pass legislation establishing many of the offices and programs that may be affected by Executive Order 13781.

IV. Media Requester Status

In addition to the public interest fee waiver, I ask to be properly categorized as a representative of the news media. The bulk of my professional duties at the Sierra Club entails planning and writing content about public policy, including composing mass communications to our followers, analyzing FOIA responses, and coordinating press outreach.

I have previously written about the federal hiring freeze's impact on agencies:

https://sierraclub.org/planet/2017/05/trump-admin-policies-leave-700-cdc-jobs-vacant
https://sierraclub.org/planet/2017/04/hiring-freeze-prevented-epa-filling-hundreds-jobs

This work, supplemented by Freedom of Information Act requests, was covered in major media outlets:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/05/19/nearly-700-vacancies-at-cdc-because-of-trump-administration-hiring-freeze/
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/epa-hiring-freeze/index.html

This government restructuring is tied closely to the federal hiring freeze as part of a larger effort to reduce the size of the government's civilian employment and the scope and/or duplicate nature of certain federal programs.

The Sierra Club has the ability and intention to disseminate the information it receives through this request. The information may be shared through emails to an audience reaching into the millions, Facebook and Twitter posts reaching tens of thousands of followers, articles on our often-visited website, and analysis provided to the media.

In the event that there are fees, please inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Alexander Rony
Sierra Club

From: FN-OMB-FOIA

Subject: RE: Freedom of Information Request: Reorganizing the Executive Branch data

Email

Good Morning:

This email acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) dated June 15, 2017 and received in OMB’s FOIA office on June 23, 2017. Your request has been logged in and is being processed. For your reference, the OMB FOIA number is 2017-292.

Sincerely,
Dionne Hardy

From: U.S. Office of Management and Budget

Subject: OMB FOIA Response

Email

Good Afternoon: See attached.
Thanks.

Files

pages

 Close