Michael Powell Wants Open Government Law Eased

Congress should enact changes to open government laws to make it easier for political appointees on the Federal Communications Commission to discuss issues in private, two FCC members said.
FCC Chairman Michael Powell, a Republican, and fellow Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, said the law hinders communication between individuals on the five-member FCC because only two members at a time can talk face-to-face outside the confines of a commission meeting.
Powell and Copps, in a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said they supported the goal of open government laws, but added that Congress should change the law to let more than two commissioners meet privately "in appropriate circumstances."