Revealed:Sen.JimBunningPutSecretHoldOnPresidentialRecordsAmendment

Lastweek,ThinkProgressnotedthatananonymoussenatorhadplacedaholdonabillthatwouldrestorepublicaccesstoPresidentialrecords,whichPresidentBushhadsealedindefinitelywithanexecutiveorderin2001.

Sen.TomCoburn(R-OK)wasoriginallysuspectedofbeingthesenatorbehindthesecretholduntilamemberofhisstaffcontactedThinkProgressto"statefortherecordthat"Sen.Coburn"isnotholdingthisbillrelatedtopresidentialrecords ":

TheofficeofSen.TomCoburnwouldliketostatefortherecordthatheisnotholdingthisbillrelatedtopresidentialrecords.ItistruethatheplacedaholdonthebillfollowingitspassagethroughtheHomelandSecurityandGovernmentalAffairsCommitteeinJune,buthassinceworkedouthisminorconcernwiththeofficeofSen.JosephLiebermanatwhichtimeheliftedhishold.

WithCoburnoutoftherunning,themysteryofwhowasattemptingtoblockpublicaccesstoPresidentialrecordscontinued.Butnow,theSunlightFoundationhasrevealedthatthesenatorialhandbehindthesecretholdisSen.JimBunning(R-KY):

SenatorJimBunning(R-KY)nowhasanobjectiontomovingforwardwithHR1255,thePresidentialRecordsActAmendmentsof2007.ThebillwouldoverturnanoutrageousExecutiveOrderthatwouldkeeppresidentialrecordshiddenfrompublicviewindefinitely.[...]

Now,whetherornothehashadtheholdallalong,SenatorBunninghasbeenforcedtotakeresponsibilityfortheobjection.Thatmakesushappy.

TellBunningtoletthebillcometoavotehereorcallhisofficeat202-224-4343.

--http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/27/bunning-secret-hold/,courtesyofFrankLeidermann,AssociateEditor