John E. Moss

“The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act is to establish a general philosophy of full agency disclosure unless information is exempted under clearly delineated statutory language.”

“A government by secrecy benefits no one. It injures the people it seeks to serve.”

“Every time we chip away at the wall of secrecy, we strengthen the foundations of our democracy.”

“Secrecy in government is fundamentally anti-democratic, perpetuating bureaucratic errors. Openness corrects those errors.”

“Without the fullest possible access to information, the people cannot make the informed judgments essential to the proper functioning of a democracy.”

“The bill...is the product of 12 years of hearings, debate, and dogged persistence by a small band of legislators and journalists who believe that the first right of a citizen is the right to know.”

“The right to know is the right to dissent.”

“What the American people don't know can kill them.”

“We must never permit the veil of secrecy to be drawn around any action of government which is not related to the national security.”

“The battle for freedom of information is a continuous one.”

“A citizen's right to know is not a gift of the government; it is an inherent right of the people in a free society.”

“Public business is the public's business. The people have a right to know.”