"This 59-year-old publishing rule was likely intended as a cost-savings measure, a leftover from a bygone era of expensive layout, printing, and distribution costs. It also precedes CRS's creation by nearly two decades. Times have changed, and these print limitations are a counterproductive anachronism in the Internet age. A coalition of 38 organizations recently wrote to you to urge an end to the restriction, and I am here to do so in person today.
Congressional staff already google for CRS reports, review Cornell's Constitution Annotated website to learn about Supreme Court decisions, search YouTube for briefings on Federal Law, and look to OpenCongress.org for legislative summaries. Unfortunately, CRS has not kept up with the times, and embraces an overbroad interpretation of the publishing restriction – transforming a speed bump into a road block – thereby stifling its ability to innovate, meet the needs of its clients, and fulfill its public responsibilities. In short, you should lift the publishing restriction and send CRS an unmistakable signal to modernize."
Sunlight Testimony: Bulk Access to THOMAS and Access to CRS Products
Sunlight Foundation:
