FAS

Energy Secretary Chu Embraces FOIA Policy

06.17.09 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The controversial idea of the “unitary executive” in which all executive power is vested in the President of the United States may be a coherent legal theory.  But in reality, things don’t happen within the executive branch simply because the President commands them.  In practice, what we have is a “fragmentary executive” the efficacy of which is entirely dependent on the competence and the good faith of thousands of officials who must consciously choose to implement the declared policies of the Administration.

With that in mind, it is noteworthy that the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, reiterated and endorsed the President’s Freedom of Information Act policy in a memorandum (pdf) to senior Energy Department officials this month.

“All DOE employees have the responsibility to ensure the success of the agency’s FOIA program,” Secretary Chu wrote.  “We can no longer use competing agency priorities and insufficient technological support as a basis for not responding to requests expeditiously.  DOE employees should no longer view FOIA as an additional duty.  It is your responsibility to ensure that FOIA requests are responded to in a timely manner.”

“I want to make it clear that DOE will adhere to the President’s and Attorney General’s guidance,” Secretary Chu concluded.  See “Freedom of Information Act,” memorandum for heads of departmental elements from Energy Secretary Steven Chu, June 5, 2009 (thanks to nukewatch.org).

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Moving Beyond Pilot Programs to Codify and Expand Continuous AI Benchmarking in Testing and Evaluation

At this inflection point, the choice is not between speed and safety but between ungoverned acceleration and a calculated momentum that allows our strategic AI advantage to be both sustained and secured.

06.11.25 | 12 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Develop a Risk Assessment Framework for AI Integration into Nuclear Weapons Command, Control, and Communications Systems

Improved detection could strengthen deterrence, but only if accompanying hazards—automation bias, model hallucinations, exploitable software vulnerabilities, and the risk of eroding assured second‑strike capability—are well managed.

06.11.25 | 8 min read
read more
FAS
Press release
Federation of American Scientists and Georgetown University Tech & Society Launch Fellowships for Former Federal Officials

New initiative brings nine experts with federal government experience to work with the FAS and Tech & Society’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, the Knight-Georgetown Institute, and the Institute for Technology Law & Policy Wednesday, June 11, 2025—Today Georgetown University’s Tech & Society Initiative and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) announce two […]

06.11.25 | 9 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
A National Center for Advanced AI Reliability and Security

A dedicated and properly resourced national entity is essential for supporting the development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI to drive widespread adoption, by providing sustained, independent technical assessments and emergency coordination.

06.11.25 | 10 min read
read more