As the House moves towards a vote on legislation that would shine a light on government secrecy, the American Civil Liberties Union praised members pivotal in bringing the bill forward. The bill, H.R. 6575, the Over-Classification Reduction Act, was introduced by House Government Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA). Similar legislation that would apply specifically to the Department of Homeland Security was also introduced this year by Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA)...... The following can be attributed Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office: "Congressman Waxman should be applauded for his efforts in moving this important bill forward - not to mention Congresswoman Harman's equally important work on her similar bill. Congress is finally getting serious about the serious problem of over-classification. We are optimistic that this is the first step towards a new age of government transparency. In addition to enacting this legislation, Congress needs to follow through by conducting thorough and regular oversight to ensure that agencies aren't engaging in over-classification. It needs to be certain that the new statutory regime is both effective and enforced.