United States President Barack Obama announced today that his administration will roll back the secrecy that has ruled during the Bush Administration and implement a new era of government openness and transparency.
Referring to the Freedom of Information Act as one of the most important tools of oversight the nation possesses, Obama called on all government agencies to err on the side of openness and release information whenever possible, which directly contradicts orders by the previous administration to look for reasons to withhold information whenever possible. Just because you have the legal right to withhold information, doesn’t mean you should, Obama said at a White House press conference and staff swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.
"For a long time now, there’s been too much secrecy in this city," he said.
Obama also said that any time the administration feels the need to withhold information about his presidency or a past presidency, it will consult legal counsel to ensure its decision is on solid ground.
"Information will not be withheld just because I say so," he said. "It will be withheld because a separate authority believes it is well-grounded in the Constitution."
The Bush Administration was sharply criticized for undermining public records laws and creating new categories of protected records to classify information that was previously unclassified. The Administration was also charged repeatedly with withholding information from Congress.
Obama went on to say that his administration’s commitment to openness "means more than simply informing the American people how decisions are made." It also means recognizing that the government doesn’t have all the answers.
To that end, he directed members of his administration (.pdf) to "find new ways of tapping the knowledge of ordinary Americans" — scientists, educators, entrepreneurs — to find ways to solve the problems of our times as one nation "by involving the American people in shaping the policies that affect their lives."
Obama has also instituted a pay freeze on senior White House staff members and has implemented tighter restrictions on lobbyists, banning lobbyists who take a government job from working on matters that are related to their former lobbying activities or from approaching agencies they previously lobbied. Government workers who leave their public position to take an industry job will not be able to lobby the Administration for as long as Obama remains in office.
Lobbyists are also banned from giving gifts to anyone in the Obama Administration.
Update: The White House has now posted the presidential memo (.pdf) explaining the new order and directing the attorney general (when his appointment is finally confirmed) to issue new guidelines "reaffirming the commitment to accountability and transparency". Here’s a highlight:
