Wyden Statement on Release of Public Interest Declassification Board Report
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after the release of the Public Interest Declassification Board’s report on classification procedures used by the US government:
“The balance between the public’s right to know and the government’s need to keep certain things secret is essential to the preservation of both democracy and national security. However, the tendency of the government to over-classify information can undermine national security and prevent informed public debate. The findings of the PIBD – a congressionally mandated panel of intelligence and national security experts -- cast in sharp relief the concerns I and many of my colleagues have about classification policies. The recommendations of the board to modernize and improve those classification procedures deserve the attention of the White House and Congress and it is my hope that they will be considered quickly.”