November 19, 2007 The Honorable Harry Reid Senate Majority Leader 528…

November 19, 2007

The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
528 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Reid:

In November 2001, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13233, which
gives current and former presidents and vice presidents, and their heirs, broad authority to
withhold presidential records or delay their release. "The Presidential Records Act
Amendments of 2007" (H.R. 1255/S. 886) would nullify the Bush executive order and re-
establish procedures to ensure the timely release of presidential records that the
Presidential Records Act was designed to ensure.

On September 24, 2007, Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to floor consideration of
H.R. 1255/S. 886 under unanimous consent, holding up a vote on the bill. Despite
repeated requests from our organizations and the news media, Senator Bunning has
refused to state the reasons for his opposition to the bill. Recently, the White House
reiterated its threat to veto the bill should it pass Congress.

On March 14, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1255 by a veto-
proof margin (333-93) with 104 Republicans breaking ranks with the Administration. The
bill also has broad bipartisan support in the Senate, and cleared the Senate Homeland
Security and Government Affairs Committee by voice vote earlier this year.

It is unconscionable that a single senator can hold up consideration of legislation that will
allow the American people to know the full record of this administration, as well as past
and future administrations. If Senator Bunning has legitimate concerns with the
legislation, he should work with the bill's sponsors to reach a compromise. But to date he
has refused to do so, and time on the legislative calendar of the 110th Congress is already
growing short. There is significant bipartisan support for the bill in the Senate ­ likely
enough support to overcome a possible filibuster. Therefore, the undersigned
organizations strongly urge you to bring H.R. 1255/S. 886 to the Senate floor for
consideration as soon as possible.

The Bush Administration has been perhaps the most secretive in our nation's history. If
this Executive Order is not overturned by Congress it will allow President Bush, his heirs,
and ­ for the first time ­ Vice President Cheney and his heirs, to continue to delay or
deny the American people access to the full historical record of this administration well
beyond 2009. The importance of this issue to the public also can be seen in the recent
controversy faced by presidential candidate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)
concerning the records of the Clinton Administration.
Presidential historian Robert Dallek told a House subcommittee earlier this year,
"President Bush's order carries the potential for incomplete and distorted understanding
of past presidential decisions, especially about controversial actions with significant
consequences. Consider what difference the release of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon
tapes has made in our understanding of the decision-making on Vietnam in these
administrations."

The American people should not be denied their basic right to have the information they
need to hold their government accountable for its actions. If you fail to bring this bill to
the Senate floor, the clamor for more transparency will continue while a veil of secrecy
will remain in place long after the Bush Administration has left office. Please bring the
Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007 (H.R. 1255/S. 886) to the floor now.

Sincerely,

American Association of Law Libraries             National Coalition Against Censorship

American Historical Association                   National Coalition for History

American Library Association                      National Council on Public History

Association of Research Libraries                 National Freedom of Information
                                                  Coalition
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
                                                  National Security Archive
Californians Aware
                                                  Ohio Newspaper Association
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington                                        OMB Watch

Common Cause                                      OpenTheGovernment.org

Council of State Archivists                       Organization of American Historians

Electronic Frontier Foundation                    PEN American Center

Essential Information                             People for the American Way

Government Accountability Project                 Public Citizen

Indiana Coalition for Open Government             Society of American Archivists

Liberty Coalition                                 Society for Historians of American
                                                  Foreign Relations
Mine Safety and Health News
                                                  Society for Military History
Society of Professional Journalists-
Montana Professional Chapter

Southern Historical Association

Special Libraries Association

Sunlight Foundation

The James Madison Project

The National Press Club

U.S. Bill of Rights Foundation

Utah Foundation for Open Government

Vermont Coalition for Open
Government

Vermont Press Association

Washington Coalition for Open
Government