What happened to the Reagan documents that made Bush write Executive Order 13233 in the first place?

[ck4829]

Executive Order 13233 limited access to the records of former United States Presidents. It was drafted by then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and issued by George W. Bush on November 1, 2001. Section 13 of Order 13233 revoked Executive Order 12667 which was issued by Ronald Reagan on January 18, 1989.

The Order was partially struck down in October 2007, and Barack Obama completely revoked it, by Executive Order 13489 on January 21, 2009, his first full day in office. However, as long as no bill is passed by Congress with regard to this issue, any future president is free to issue yet another order to take the place of the revoked order 13233, just as Order 13233 revoked Order 12667.

The presidential papers of Ronald Reagan were due to be made public when George W. Bush took office in January 2001. However, in a White House memo dated March 23, 2001, the Counsel to the President conveyed the following to U.S Archivist John W. Carlin:

Section 2(b) of Executive Order 12667, issued by former President Ronald Reagan on January 16, 1989, requires the Archivist of the United States to delay release of Presidential records at the instruction of the current President. On behalf of the President, I instruct you to extend for 90 days (until June 21, 2001) the time in which President Bush may claim a constitutionally based privilege over the Presidential records that former President Reagan, acting under Section 2204(a) of Title 4, has protected from disclosure for the 12 years since the end of his Presidency. This directive applies as well to the Vice Presidential records of former Vice President George H.W. Bush.

This instruction was repeated on June 6, 2001, before the 90 days had elapsed, giving a new deadline of August 31, 2001. On the day of this deadline, Alberto Gonzales instructed the Archivist to wait a few additional weeks. On November 1, 2001, Bush issued Executive Order 13233, limiting the access to the records of former U.S. Presidents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13233

Where those documents now?

And is Obama going to urge Congress to pass a law so that we never have something like Executive Order 13233 again?

[Dinger]

1. I Can Only Imagine What's In Those Documents

And is it possible for President Obama to undo bu$h's cover up? I hope so.

[DCKit]

3. Since Poppy was VP during the Reagan years...

it's a sure bet whose ass he was covering.

Can't have the truth about Iran/Contra, the drug flights and other illegal acts coming out while daddy's still alive and Jr.'s in the WH.

[Lasher]

2. A new law is not needed.

Current law mandates release of papers 12 years after a president leaves office. Junior exceeded his authority and broke that law. Poppy's papers weren't released either. That deadline passed a little over 4 years ago. We don't need new laws that just say the same thing. We need enforcement.

[izzie]

4. I never understood this law. I did not know our Pres. were autocrats

They work for us and we do not work for them. Frankly we need to take all of them down to the level of the people. Congress is just wild with thinking they are special and I sure do not think much of a President that thinks he is an autocrat. Frankly, so far, I sort of like Obama and how he is getting out and talking to every one. These men should not live in a palace behind a moot. How can Bush do what he did any how? Congress will just have to get on the ball and get some guts, if they can.

[AndyA]

5. No doubt proof of illegal activities on the part of Reagan and Bush 41.

I say expose the assholes for what they truly are: criminals who acted to cover up their crimes.

And expose Bush 43 as well.

I think if the crimes of the last several Republican Presidents are exposed, people will have a very difficult time supporting the GOP again. And the GOP knows this, which is why they've taken steps to prevent the information from being released.