On President Obama’s first day in office, he:
- Rescinded George Bush’s 2001 Executive Order which allowed former presidents, former vice-presidents, and even their heirs to essentially single-handedly determine (by claiming Executive Privilege) which of their records get released to the public. Even better, he is requiring the signature of both the White House Counsel and the Attorney General before he can even claim Executive Privilege, while in office.
- Issued a memorandum requesting that all executive offices come up with a new plan for open government and complying with Freedom of Information Act requests.
- He has also requested that a new policy be put in place for open government, putting to rest the policies enacted by John Ashcroft, which essentially instructed federal agencies to use any tactic necessary to avoid FOIA requests.
Here is what President Obama had to say:
“For a long time now there has been too much secrecy in this city. The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people, then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over. Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information, but those who seek to make it known.
The mere fact that you have the legal power to keep something secret does not mean you should use it. The Freedom of Information Act is perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparent and holding it accountable. I expect my administration not only to live up to the letter but the spirit of this law.”
Look, I don’t care what political party you prefer: you have to be proud of our new president on this one. This is a return to the most basic American principles, swiftly and decisively.
