America’s Secrets: Classified Information and Our Democracy

January 26 - January 27, 2023 | Friday, January 27 | The LBJ Presidential Library

On Thursday, January 26th, the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) will host its first public meeting of 2023 in the 10th Floor Atrium of the LBJ Presidential Library. The PIDB will consider the critical need for modernization of the federal system for classification and declassification. PIDB members will discuss challenges that electronic government records pose for declassification and government transparency, review the PIDB’s initiatives over the past year, and plan for the year ahead. Following the hearing, join us in the in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium for “An Evening with Avril Haines.” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines will give keynote remarks, followed by a fireside chat with Adam Klein, Director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.

On Friday, January 27th, we will convene a full-day conference on the role of document declassification in transparency, oversight, education, and public trust in our national security institutions. Join us to hear from scholars, members of the media and tech field, government historians and archivists for their perspectives. Senator John Cornyn will give keynote remarks and sit down for a conversation with Will Inboden, Clements Center Executive Director.

This two-day event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required for each session. Advance registration does not guarantee admission. Plan to arrive early to secure your seat!

— AGENDA —

Thursday, January 26^th

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm • Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) Public Meeting

10th Floor Atrium, The LBJ Presidential Library

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • An Evening with Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence

Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium, The LBJ Presidential Library

Friday, January 27^th:

8:00 am – 3:30 pm • “America’s Secrets: Classified Information and Our Democracy” Conference

10th Floor Atrium, The LBJ Presidential Library

SESSION I

8:00 am • Registration

8:25 am • Welcome

8:30 am – 9:30 am • Panel 1: Scholars and Documents: A Complicated Relationship

Jim Goldgeier, Visiting Scholar, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University; Chair, State Department Historical Advisory Committee
Deborah Pearlstein, Co-Director, Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy, Cardozo School of Law; Member, State Department Historical Advisory Committee
Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
Sheena Greitens, Founding Director, Asia Policy Program, University of Texas at Austin
Moderator: Aaron O’Connell, Director of Research, Clements Center for National Security

9:30 am – 10:30 am • Panel 2: Is Technology the Problem or the Solution?

Jared Abrams, Research Associate, Applied Research Laboratories
Ivan Lee, Founder & CEO, Datasaur.ai
Alex Joel, Senior Project Director and Adjunct Professor, Washington College of Law, American University
Ezra Cohen, Former Chair, PIDB and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
Moderator: Adam Klein, Director, Strauss Center for International Security and Law

10:30 am – 10:45 am • BREAK

SESSION II and Keynote

10:45 am – 11:45 am • Panel 3: The Future of Presidential Libraries

Tim Naftali, Clinical Associate Professor of History and Public Policy, New York University
Matthew Connelly, Professor of History, Columbia University, and Principal Investigator, History Lab
Warren Finch, Former Director, George H.W. Bush Presidential Library
Mark Lawrence, Director, LBJ Presidential Library
Moderator: Paul Noel Chretien, PIDB Board Member and Retired Central Intelligence Agency Officer

11:45 am – 12:30 pm • Lunch

12:30 pm – 1:15 pm • Declassification, Transparency, and the Importance of Section 702: A Conversation with Senator John Cornyn