Story perspectives

Pentagon Pushes Bill to Block State FOIA Releases, Expands Secrecy

7/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Draft legislation would let the Pentagon block state/local governments from releasing controlled unclassified records.
The Pentagon has asked Congress to exempt information from FOIA disclosure.
The ACLU and Project on Government Oversight say the measure would broaden secrecy beyond FOIA exemptions.
Following court rulings rejecting Pentagon escort rules, the proposal comes as the department reported a backlog of 30,476 FOIA requests at fiscal-2025 end, a 42 % rise from 2024.

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Story summary

Draft legislation would let the Pentagon block state/local governments from releasing controlled unclassified records.
The Pentagon has asked Congress to exempt information from FOIA disclosure.
The ACLU and Project on Government Oversight say the measure would broaden secrecy beyond FOIA exemptions.
Following court rulings rejecting Pentagon escort rules, the proposal comes as the department reported a backlog of 30,476 FOIA requests at fiscal-2025 end, a 42 % rise from 2024.