Obama has gotten down to business in earnest and his first executive order aims to regulate the influence ex-presidents and their kin can exert to block the release of sensitive documents pertaining to their time in the White House. Obama has revoked Executive Order 13233 issued by George W Bush in 2001, that particular order gave ex-presidents and their families unprecedented powers to block White House records.
In fact, Obama and Biden had targeted Executive Order 13233 during their campaigning and true to word one of the first things they have done is to revoke this order. Obama has said that while ex-presidents can ask for certain records to be kept private they cannot compel the National Archives to do so.
From 1978 onwards, ex-presidents had the power to block government records for a period of 12 years. The 12-year restriction on Bush Sr.’s term as Vice President under Reagan expired in 2001 and like a dutiful son Bush Jr. moved swiftly stating that the administration had to “review the many constitutional and legal questions raised by potential release of sensitive and confidential presidential records.” And then… he passed Executive Order 13233 which gave ex-presidents the power to block information in perpetuity.
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