If CRS products are made public, they will change. Congress will have to invent new ways to get candid advice away from the public eye. I cautiously think so, because we have to recognize the negative effects. When congressional sessions were televised, the debate changed. Much of what now happens on the floor of the House is a show solely for public consumption.
Debates are longer, shriller, more political, less productive.
They rarely affect how anyone votes. Don't get me wrong. Openness has benefits, too. But the legislative process has changed as a result, and we do not necessarily get better decisions or more truth in lawmaking. I still support televising Congress and making CRS reports public.