Representative Stephen Horn Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Efficiency House Committee on Government Reform 2154 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-6143
Dear Representative Horn:
On behalf of the Special Libraries Association (SLA), I am writing to outline our apprehension regarding Executive Order 13233. Established in 1909 and headquartered in Washington, DC, SLA represents the interests of 13,000 information professionals. Our members work in all sectors of society to provide the timely, accurate and organized information necessary to make credible decisions.
Unfortunately, policies such as those established in this executive order prevent our members from effectively doing their jobs. In short, these policies prevent access to vital information.
In 1978 Congress enacted the Presidential Records Act (PRA) to codify its belief that presidential papers are public documents, which belong to the American people. For that reason, they developed a set of procedures the government was able to take control of and organize any documents produced by the president. The goal was to allow the public access to the documents after a reasonable amount of time had passed.
The Administration has turned its back on this idea by placing an excessive burden on information seekers. No one should have to prove a specific need to know in order to see public documents. Such a requirement makes it impossible for us to understand or to build on the decisions made by our leaders.
Please understand that we appreciate the need to protect our national security, and that this must be weighed against the public’s right to information. However, by issuing this executive order the White House erred. A former president, or his representative, should not be allowed to indefinitely delay the release of any presidential document.
Both of these practices directly conflict with our country’s democratic values. Our nation cannot withstand these assaults on its citizens’ ability to access information. This is a trend, which we cannot allow to continue. It is our hope that Congress will take action. To that end, if SLA can be of assistance in any way please feel free to contact me at 202/939-3635.
Thank you for your time. We look forward to the opportunity to help you and the subcommittee resolve this matter.
Sincerely, Roberta I. Shaffer, J.D., M.L.S. Executive Director Special Libraries Association
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