During a recent statement in memory of former senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) spoke out against government actions around secrecy during a floor statement. Moynihan had been a strong opponent of government secrecy through out his 24 years as a U.S. Senator from New York. Graham proposed that a fitting tribute to Moynihan would be a "heightened recognition of the damage that excessive secrecy exacts on our government's credibility, and to recommit ourselves to a government which trusts its people to know the truth." Recently signed Executive Order 12,958 was singled out during the comments as an example of the current administration’s abuse of secrecy. The order allows for delays in the release of classified documents that were over 25 years old and would have been automatically declassified on April 17. Graham made note the irony of the Executive Order, which was signed on the eve of Moynihan’s death.

Graham made reference to a number of Moynihan’s writings on the topic of secrecy including his belief that “excessive secrecy will undermine the public confidence in our government and its essential institutions.” Graham also noted his own work as co-chair of the joint House-Senate inquiry of September 11. One of the recommendations that came out of the Joint Inquiry was that Executive Orders that govern national security classification should be targeted to expand access to information that is critical to fight terrorism. The current administration has done quite the opposite since September 11, establishing blanket policies of secrecy and information restrictions. Graham is one of few who have openly criticized the administration for its restrictive policies.