Executive Order 13233
Executive Order 13233 limits access to the records of former United States President. It was issued by President George W. Bush on November 1, 2001. The now US attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, had drafted the EO 13233 when he was the White House counsel.
Upon the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1972, decades of official and unofficial records were destroyed by his longtime secretary. However the congress passed a legislation in 1974 which placed the records of Richard Nixon in federal custody so as to prevent their destruction and allow the historians to project correct picture in the pages of history. The protective power of the legislation was expanded further by the Presidential Records Act passed in 1978. It declared the records of former president would become a federal property and placed under federal protection automatically once the president leaves his Oval Office. It also mandated that within twelve years, the records will be made public.
The EO13233 was met with strong criticism by the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association. They claimed that the order was against the very spirit which laid the foundation of their nation.
The EO13233 revoked the Order 12667 of January 18 1989. Shortly after passing of the EO13233, a group of the members of the US House of Representative debated the repealing of the order 13233 and restoration of 12667.
In March 2007, a bill (President Records Amendment Act) was passed in the house with an overwhelming majority. The majority also made the bill veto-proof. The president had earlier threatened to veto the bill.
USA Election Polls is a premiere advertiser. Visit their website. Thank you! |
