Freedom of Information Act Signed, Establishing Public Right to Records

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act on July 4, 1966, establishing the legal right of citizens and press to request federal government records. Johnson privately opposed the bill but signed it under political pressure from Congress. The law created an enforceable presumption of openness — agencies must disclose records unless a specific exemption applies, including exemptions for classified national security information and internal agency deliberations.