[Publib] Fwd: [alacoun] Letter ALA Signed Onto urging cosponsorship of Presidential Records Act Amendments

[Diedre Conkling]

FYI
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Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:35:07 -0500
From: "Emily Sheketoff" <esheketoff at alawash.org>
To: <alacoun at ala.org>
Cc: <alacol2 at ala.org>
Subject: [alacoun] Letter ALA Signed Onto urging cosponsorship of Presidential Records Act Amendments

December 7, 2007 

Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton 

Senator Christopher J. Dodd 

Senator John McCain 

United States Senate 

Dear Senators: 

We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to ask you as key members
of the Senate and candidates for your party's nomination for the
presidency of the United States to co-sponsor S. 886, "The Presidential
Records Act Amendments of 2007." This legislation is critical to restore
the public's necessary faith in the trustworthiness of its government. 

In November 2001, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13233,
giving 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" (S. 886)
would re-establish procedures to ensure the timely release of
presidential records that the Presidential Records Act of 1978 was
designed to ensure. 

The House version of this legislation (H.R. 1255) passed on March 14,
2007 by 333-93, including 104 Republicans. The Senate bill has broad
bipartisan support, and cleared the Senate Homeland Security and
Government Affairs Committee by voice vote earlier this year. 

We urge you to take a stand for accountability and join Senators
Bingaman, Cornyn and others in co-sponsoring this important bill. The
public should be assured that the next President will be committed to
openness and will restore the public's trust in the workings of
government. 

Please feel free to contact Lee White at the National Coalition for
History (202-544-2422 x-116) if you have any questions. 

Thank you. 

Sincerely, 

American Association of Law Libraries 

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression 

American Library Association 

Association of American Publishers 

Bill of Rights Defense Committee 

California First Amendment Coalition 

Center for National Security Studies 

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington 

EnviroJustice 

Essential Information 

FOI Oklahoma, Inc. 

Government Accountability Project 

Indiana Coalition for Open Government 

The James Madison Project 

Mine Safety and Health News 

Minnesota Coalition on Government Information 

National Coalition Against Censorship 

National Coalition for History 

National Freedom of Information Coalition 

National Security Archive 

OMB Watch 

OpenTheGovernment.org 

PEN American Center 

Progressive Democrats of America 

Public Citizen 

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 

Society of American Archivists 

Society of Professional Journalists 

Special Libraries Association 

Sprehe Information Management Associates, Inc. 

Washington Coalition for Open Government 

Cc: Senators Bingaman, Cornyn, Feinstein, Leahy, Lieberman, Obama, and
Sununu 

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