White House Petition Updates: No Pardon for Snowden
WASHINGTON, July 28 (UPI) — The White House announced it has simplified the petition process so the U.S. government can address popular movements and calls to action.
President Barack Obama, in a message on www.medium.com, noted the Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees the right of the American people “to petition the government for a redress of grievances” without explaining the procedure. “We the People,” a 2011 online petition platform, was created by the White House to simplify the process, which currently has a backlog of 20 petitions, each with at least 100,000 signatories, awaiting action.
“Mr. Snowden’s dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it,” said Lisa Monaco, the president’s adviser on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.
A decision on honors for Berra has not yet been reached.
The White House website offers guidelines for beginning a petition, a three-step process ending with “If a petition meets the signature threshold, it will be reviewed by the administration and we will issue a response.”