Deficit Panel Ordered to Debate in Open

A federal judge on Thursday barred the National Economic Commission from closing upcoming meetings to the public, ruling in favor of a suit brought by several news organizations.

U.S. District Judge Joyce Hens Green rejected arguments made by the commission that because the members of the panel were so prestigious their public discussions on economic matters could create chaos in financial markets.

Green said Congress could have exempted the commission from the open meetings requirements of federal law but decided not to do so.

Congress created the 14-member advisory panel to come up with ways to reduce the federal budget deficit. It is headed by Robert S. Strauss, former Democratic National Committee chairman, and Drew Lewis, a Republican and former transportation secretary.

Choice by Congress

“Fully recognizing that the commission’s composition would be prestigious and its activities significant to the national need and the international community, Congress made a deliberate choice to make this commission subject to the open meeting requirements,” the judge said in her ruling.

She said the ruling did not mean the commission was prevented from ever meeting behind closed doors but that any closed-door sessions would have to meet the strict definition in the law that holding the session in public would “significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action.”

The ruling, if allowed to stand, would mean the commission would have to hold its debates on ways to cut the deficit in open sessions. The panel is supposed to submit its report by March 1, although President-elect Bush could extend that deadline to Sept. 1.

No Decision on Appeal

David Mathiasen, executive director of the commission, said the panel’s attorneys had not read the ruling, and he could not comment on whether the commission would appeal the decision.

Mathiasen said no decision had been made on whether to cancel the commission’s next meetings, on Tuesday and Wednesday.