2 years ago, I reported that the Administration strongly supported the use of Plain Language in Federal documents. In 1998, former President Clinton signed a memo directing the use of Plain Language in rulemaking documents published in the Federal Register and in documents for the public that explain how to obtain a benefit or service or how to comply with a requirement. Then, Vice President Gore put Plain Language under the umbrella of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, where he personally presented No Gobbledygook Awards every month to Federal employees who produced excellent, plainly written documents.

Since then, as you know, we have a new Administration. As a result, we in the Federal Plain Language community have tweaked a few things, such as changing the name of the Interagency Workgroup from the Plain English Network (PEN) to the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN).

But the commitment and the goal remain the same. The group still meets every month at the White House Conference Center, under the tireless leadership of Annetta Cheek (who sends her best wishes from Spain, where she is celebrating her 35th Anniversary.) The name doesn't matter -- PEN or PLAIN - the Plain Language work goes on. In fact, some Departments, like Education, report that it's even stronger under their Republican agency heads. And some Feds - but not enough - go so far as to state that PL has become "part of their agency's culture."

I work for the Food and Drug Administration, which is part of the Department of Health & Human Services. The Secretary of HHS, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, has long been known for his ability "to translate government-speak into plain English." Since he took the job of Secretary, he has made it clear that he strongly recommends clear communication, and he's insistent that all HHS agencies use plain language and avoid both jargon and highly technical language in all documents.

So, in looking for a spokesperson for Plain Language from the Bush Administration, he seemed like a natural choice. Early this year, we approached Sec. Thompson and he agreed to champion Plain Language. I understand he will be sending a letter to all the other Cabinet Secretaries "challenging them" to join him in asking their Departments and Agencies to use Plain Language, especially in documents intended for the public because, as Sec. Thompson says, "…by presenting crucial information and services to the public in an understandable way, we will help ensure a safe and healthy America."