You can't make an FOIA request for code. You can only make requests for agency records, and in the definitions section of the bill, computer code is explicitly listed as something that isn't an agency record.
"computer software, including source code, object code, and listings of source and object codes, regardless of medium are not agency records"
Works created by the federal government are in the public domain, per section 105 of the copyright code. So you'd be right I can't use a FOIA request to obtain the code, but if obtained through other methods, I believe I'm in the clear for hosting it on Github.
With the exception of the recent 18F/USDS/etc groups acting as contractors to the rest of the government, the USG doesn't produce much code. Code is produced for the government by contractors, and that's not in the public domain. Here's a decent discussion of why the government doesn't regularly produce its own code, or much of anything:
Basically, you're trying to figure out some way to piss off the techies and managers you want to convince to be more open? Even if FOIA worked on code, you really aren't helping your cause..
> you're trying to figure out some way to piss off the techies and managers
I'm not trying to piss anyone off, but to be honest, I don't really care if I do. I'm simply trying to pry government open into being more transparent through any means necessary.
> you want to convince to be more open
No. Not in the slightest. My opinion doesn't matter anywhere in government, so I'm left with the tools at my disposal.
> Even if FOIA worked on code, you really aren't helping your cause..
When the carrot doesn't work, one must use the stick.
"computer software, including source code, object code, and listings of source and object codes, regardless of medium are not agency records"