Released: October 29, 2007

Federal government pushed on Plain English

Source: Stephen Barr, Washington Post (Free Registration)

Gobbledygook. It’s the stuff of government. Maybe its No. 1 export. Now, a first-term House member, Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), wants to do away with the wordy, pompous and confusing forms and memos that spew out of the bureaucracy every day.

He has introduced legislation that would require the government to write in “plain language” - simple words, short sentences and no jargon, so that people can understand tax forms, college aid applications and other documents distributed to the public.

“Unless there is aggressive or intensive oversight, no agency is going to change the way it does business,” he said.

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