As our nation approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, the Board hereby updates the public on its advocacy efforts, and explains its approach to advancing the review for potential declassification and public release of two sets of high-priority records compiled by the 9/11 Commission: the President’s Daily Briefing (PDB) summary and a collection of Memorandums for the Record of high-ranking U.S. Government officials in the Clinton and Bush administrations.
The Board remains fully committed to ensuring that the U.S. government honors the 9/11 Commission’s stated intent that the records of its work should be declassified and released to the fullest extent possible.
The Board’s Approach
The Board chose to prioritize the PDB summary rather than seeking review of the full body of underlying Presidential Daily Briefings that the Commission consulted. Review of all PDBs would require examination of a substantial volume of highly sensitive national security records across multiple federal agencies.
With input from members of the 9/11 Commission, the Board identified the PDB Summary as a particularly valuable record for public understanding of the available intelligence leading up to the attack. Once released, the Summary would also assist researchers, survivors, and other members of the public in identifying records for potential Mandatory Declassification Review.
The Board similarly prioritized the Memorandums for the Record across several key communications, including its May 18, 2021 public meeting, 2021 letter to the President, January 26, 2023 public meeting, January 14, 2026 public meeting, and subsequent blog posts.
Following the recommendations and efforts of the Board, the records documenting the Commission’s interview with President Bush and Vice President Cheney were released on November 9, 2022. The Memorandums for the Record of interviews with former National Security Advisors Condoleezza Rice and Samuel “Sandy” Berger, Chief Counter-Terrorism Adviser on the U.S. National Security Council Richard Clarke, CIA Officer Michael Scheuer, and CIA Director George Tenet are still pending release.
Recommendation to the President
In a June 30, 2026, letter to President Trump, the Board once again focused attention on these high-priority records for declassification and public release. Strong congressional interest in greater public access, and the President’s historical actions ensuring the release of significant records, in the context of the 25th Anniversary of the events of 9/11, represent an important moment of opportunity to review these records.
Looking Forward
These high-priority records for declassification and public release provide a practical entry point for meaningful and comprehensive public understanding of the intelligence leading up to and including the events of September 11, 2001. These records are now under review by the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP).
The Board will continue to closely follow the ISCAP’s review process, advocating for the greatest possible public access consistent with national security, and will keep the public informed as this work moves forward.