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Washington DC, June 13, 2016 – Today the National Security Archive celebrates the Freedom of Information Act’s upcoming 50th birthday by highlighting 50 of the year’s biggest news stories made possible by FOIA. The diverse front-page news shows how FOIA can impact human rights, government accountability, and even what you eat.
Here is a sampling of this year’s top stories:
Below is a collection of the Archive’s seminal FOIA history postings, a one-stop-resources-shop as the law turns 50:
Signed: LBJ begrudgingly signs the FOIA into law while vacationing at his Texas ranch fifty years ago on July 4, 1966. But the event does not even appear on LBJ’s Daily Diary. LBJ – normally a fan of over-the-top signing ceremonies – refused a public ceremony for the FOIA, and undercut the bill with a signing statement that includes more about the need to keep secrets than the urgency of openness.
Obstructed: President Ford wanted to sign the FOIA-strengthening 1974 amendments, but concern about leaks (shared by his chief of staff Donald Rumsfeld and deputy Richard Cheney) and legal arguments that the bill was unconstitutional (marshaled by government lawyer Antonin Scalia, among others) persuaded Ford to veto the bill.
Strengthened: On November 20, 1974, the House of Representatives voted to override Ford's veto by a margin of 371 to 31; on November 21, the Senate followed suit by a 65 to 27 vote, giving the United States the core Freedom of Information Act still in effect today including judicial review of executive secrecy claims.
Strengthened Again: The FOIA was strengthened again in 1996 with the passage of the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (E-FOIA). The law mandated that agencies post key sets of records online, provide citizens with detailed guidance on making FOIA requests, and use new information technology to post online proactively records of significant public interest, including those already processed in response to FOIA requests and "likely to become the subject of subsequent requests."
Implemented? The National Security Archive’s 15 government-wide audits have examined various aspects of FOIA implementation, from failure to save email, to not posting required material online, to outdated FOIA regulations, the audits highlight what most needs fixing.
A Look behind The Scenes: Bill Moyers’ “In the Kingdom of the Half-Blind.”
An in-depth Legislative History of the FOIA.
Everything you need to Know About Filing a FOIA: The Archive's detailed 122-page guide, "Effective FOIA Requesting for Everyone," is available online at the Archive's FOIA page.
Today the House of Representatives considers passage of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 (S. 337). The bill was introduced by Senators John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, and Patrick Leahy, and has already unanimously passed the Senate. Representatives Jason Chaffetz and Elijah Cummings have led important efforts to strengthen FOIA in the House, and support the House passing the Senate bill. If the House does pass the Senate bill, it will go to the President’s desk – and the White House has indicated the President will sign it.
The bipartisan, bicameral bill would improve FOIA by:
Consideration of this legislation comes just before the law – signed begrudgingly by LBJ on July 4, 1966 – turns 50.
May 27, 2016
Agency: Multiple
May 9, 2016
Agency: Department of the Interior
May 5, 2016
Agency: George W. Bush Presidential Library
April 20, 2016
Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
April 14, 2016
Agency: United States Agency for International Developmen
April 5, 2016
Agency: Transportation Security Administration
March 28, 2016
Agency: Defense Intelligence Agency
March 18, 2016
Agency: Department of Defense
March 18, 2016
Agency: Central Intelligence Agency
March 18, 2016
Agency: US Marshals, Department of Justice
March 9, 2016
Agency: Department of Defense
March 8, 2016
Agency: Department of Justice
March 3, 2016
Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
February 2016
Agency: Department of Defense
February 25, 2016
Agency: Department of Justice
February 17, 2016
Agency: Department of Defense
February 3, 2016
Agency: Department of Defense
February 2, 2016
Agency: Food and Drug Administration
February 1, 2016
Agency: Department of the Treasury
January 5, 2016
Agency: Department of State
December 11, 2016
Agency: Department of State
December 2, 2015
Agency: Department of State
November 27, 2015
Agency: Department of State
November 18, 2015
Agency: Department of Justice
November 3, 2015
Agency: Department of Defense
October 26, 2015
Agency: Internal Revenue Service
October 1, 2015
Agency: Department of State
September 29, 2015
Agency: Department of Defense
September 29, 2015
Agency: Department of Defense
September 27, 2015
Agency: Drug Enforcement Administration
September 15, 2015
Agency: Multiple, including FBI, USAID, DOJ, NSA
September 4, 2015
Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
August 27, 2015
Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
August 26, 2015
Agency: Department of Justice
August 13, 2015
Agency: United States Postal Service
August 12, 2015
Agency: Department of Defense
August 12, 2015
Agency: Central Intelligence Agency
August 11, 2015
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration
August 1, 2015
Agency: Department of Justice
July 24, 2015
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
July 24, 2015
Agency: National Archives and Records Administration
July 12, 2015
Agency: Health and Human Services
July 10, 2015
Agency: Health and Human Services
National Security Archive
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