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LM 2020-065 (George W. Bush Presidential Records) VIA EMAIL (LM 2020-065) August 11, 2020 The Honorable Pat A. Cipollone Counsel to the President The White House Washington, D.C. 20502 Dear Mr. Cipollone: In accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act (PRA), as amended, 44 U.S.C. §§2201-2209, this letter constitutes a formal notice from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to the incumbent President of our intent to open George W. Bush Presidential records in response to the systematic processing projects and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests listed in Attachment A. This material, consisting of 41,082 pages and 13,854 assets, has been reviewed for the six PRA Presidential restrictive categories, including confidential communications requesting or submitting advice (P5) and material related to appointments to federal office (P2), as they were eased by President George W. Bush on November 15, 2010. These records were also reviewed for all applicable FOIA exemptions. As a result of this review, 19,500 pages and 7,840 assets in whole and 1,979 pages and 625 assets in part have been restricted. Therefore, NARA is proposing to open the remaining 19,603 pages and 5,389 assets in whole and 1,979 pages and 625 assets in part that do not require closure under 44 U.S.C. § 2204. A copy of any records proposed for release under this notice will be provided to you upon your request. We are also concurrently informing former President George W. Bush’s representative, Freddy Ford, of our intent to release these records. Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 2208(a), NARA will release the records 60 working days from the date of this letter, which is November 5, 2020, unless the former or incumbent President requests a one-time extension of an additional 30 working days or asserts a constitutionally based privilege, in accordance with 44 U.S.C. 2208(b)-(d). Please let us know if you are able to complete your review before the expiration of the 60 working day period. Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 2208(a)(1)(B), we will make this notice available to the public on the NARA website. If you have any questions relating to this notification, please contact me at (202) 357-5144 or NARA General Counsel Gary M. Stern at (301) 837-3026. Sincerely, B. JOHN LASTER DIRECTOR White House Liaison Division Enclosure ATTACHMENT A Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2017-0009-P Strategic Initiatives, White House 2,774 pages 0 pages 2,774 pages Office of -- Book Collection [segment thereof] The George W. Bush Library has completed the systematic processing of records from the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives – Book Collection [segment thereof]. The George W. Bush Presidential records proposed for opening include published books. These books are Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections, Volumes I and II, Fourth Edition; the Economic Report of the President transmitted to Congress in February 2002; and the Economic Report of the President transmitted to Congress in February 2004. Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2014-0198-F[1] Emails sent to or from members of the 9,999 assets 5,842 assets 3,854 assets in whole; George W. Bush Administration that in whole; 303 303 assets in part mention MoveOn.org or MoveOn assets in part This researcher submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for emails sent and received by the George W. Bush Administration that mention MoveOn.org or MoveOn. The George W. Bush Presidential electronic records proposed for opening are emails containing newspaper articles or portions thereof; press releases; mass-distributed emails from MoveOn; talking points; final drafts of speeches; compilations of factual information about outside interest groups; transcripts of public Congressional testimony and portions thereof; factual emails about protestors at various events; published policy papers; newsletters; fact sheets; petitions; vetting results; lists of resources for individuals affected by hurricanes; transcripts of television and radio programs; schedules; and correspondence with members of the press. The bulk of the records consist of newspaper articles, quotations from websites, newsletters, and talking points related to MoveOn or rebutting MoveOn statements about various policies of the George W. Bush administration. These policies include Social Security reform, the war in Iraq, judicial nominations, legislative reform related to 527 organizations, Medicare, Karl Rove’s speeches and other activities on behalf of the administration, and General David Petraeus’s testimony to Congress. These materials are from the Automated Records Management System (ARMS), Exchange Email, Exchange Email Restored – 21 Days, Exchange Email Restored – 33 Days, Exchange Email Restored – 40 Days, and RNC Personal Storage Table (PST) Search and Access Sets. A-1 of A-9 Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2015-0237-F National Security Council records 12,884 6,687 pages 5,876 pages in whole; related to Bolivia pages in whole; 321 321 pages in part pages in part This researcher submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for National Security Council records related to Bolivia. The George W. Bush Presidential records proposed for opening are routine planning emails for meetings, participant lists, schedule proposals, schedules, travel requests, fact sheets, Q&As, routine head of state correspondence, and routine briefing materials regarding Summit of the Americas. There are reports to Congress, including the Third Report to the Congress on the Operation of the Andean Trade Preference Act as Amended and the First Annual Report to Congress on the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. Included are several routine head of state letters such as a letter to President George W. Bush from Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga declining an invitation to an inauguration, a letter from President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada on the anniversary of 9/11, and a cable offering condolence on the death of former President Hugo Banzer. These materials are from the National Security Council and cover the topic of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act. Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2016-0176-F Textual material related to proposals to 8,896 pages 7,456 pages 1,324 pages in whole; send U.S. troops to Georgia in its war in whole; 116 116 pages in part with Russia in August 2008 pages in part This researcher submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for textual material related to proposals to send U.S. troops to Georgia in its war with Russia in August 2008. The George W. Bush Presidential records proposed for opening are NSC Profile Sheets, routing forms, routine printed e-mails, routing memoranda, binder tabs, meeting participant lists, and meeting seating charts. Also included are news reports about the fighting in Georgia, press statements, talking points for press conferences, and scheduling materials for meetings with the National Security Council and drafts thereof. A report from the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs is also included entitled “Georgia-Russia Crisis Strategic Communications” which was produced in September 2008. These materials are from the National Security Council. A-2 of A-9 Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2016-0366-F Unclassified textual records relating to 6,009 pages 2,891 pages 2,934 pages in whole; the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries in whole; 184 184 pages in part (HIPC) Initiative pages in part This researcher submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for unclassified textual records related to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. The George W. Bush Presidential textual records proposed for opening are schedules, routine memoranda, White House staffing memoranda, routine correspondence, printed emails, descriptions of locations where meetings were held, webpages, printed articles, data sheets, unsolicited resumes, resumes of selected individuals, White House Communication publications, congratulatory correspondence from Heads of State, gift register forms, invitations, and charts. These materials are mainly from the White House Office of Records Management. Case Number Topic Material Material Material Proposed Processed Restricted for Opening 2017-0109-F The George W. Bush Administration’s 246 pages; 94 pages, 28 131 pages, 68 assets influence on combating terrorism 116 assets assets in in whole; 21 pages, 20 through film and television whole; 21 assets in part pages, 20 assets in part This researcher submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records related to the George W. Bush administration’s influence on combating terrorism through film and television, dated September 11, 2001, to January 31, 2002. The George W. Bush Presidential textual records proposed for opening are seating arrangements from a cabinet meeting, lists of attendees of routine meetings, routine schedules, call logs, letters to business leaders and the general public from Chris Henick, printed webpages about Hollywood’s actions post September 11, administrative printed emails, and a briefing paper on an event related to the economy. These materials are from the White House Office of Communications and White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. Electronic records proposed for opening consist of emails, schedule proposals,
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