Congressmembers write White House to ask if
reporters were bugged
The Raw Story
January 5, 2006
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and 22 other House members sent a letter to
President Bush today requesting that he provide a range of information
concerning the controversial warrantless surveillance program by the NSA, RAW
STORY has learned.
In light of recent disclosures by NBC that CNN Reporter Christiane
Amanpour's telephone calls may have been intercepted by the Bush Administration
-- a fact caught by AmericaBLOG's John Aravosis. The Democrats asked for
information regarding whether any reporters or other members of the media have
had phone calls intercepted under the NSA program.
The congressmembers also asked the President to propose statutory language
that would specifically authorize the program so that it could be considered as
part of a possible extension of the USA PATRIOT Act scheduled to sunset Feb.
3
The text of the letter follows:
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January 5, 2006
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We write to you regarding the National Security Agency's use of warrantless
surveillance involving people in the United States. While we believe it is
critical that communications with Al Qaeda representatives be scrutinized, it
is also imperative that it be done in a manner that respects the law and the
privacy rights of individuals in this country, and as has been done by prior
Administrations.
As you know, since this program was first disclosed by The New York Times on
December 16, 2005, it has caused a firestorm of controversy. Among other
things, concerns have been raised that not only is the program constitutionally
problematic; but also that it is inconsistent with the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act ("FISA") and not authorized by any subsequently passed law
(including the September 18, 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force); it
included within its sweep calls solely within the United States; the
intelligence information was widely disseminated without adequate controls; and
that it involved tapping into telecommunication data and voice networks,
thereby intercepting a large volume of telephone and Internet communications.
Concerns about the program were not only raised by Members of the Intelligence
Committees and Members of the FISA Court (one of whom resigned in protest), but
by then-Deputy Attorney General Comey and, reportedly, by then-Attorney General
Ashcroft.
Perhaps the most significant concern many of us have is that such a program
could be utilized with the Executive Branch acting in the role of attorney,
judge, and jury in deciding whether or not the surveillance was justified or
appropriate. This is particularly perplexing given the ease with which your and
other Administrations have been able to obtain FISA warrants in the past, and
the fact that such warrants can even be obtained on a retroactive basis.
Given the controversy and myriad legal concerns raised by the surveillance
program, we would ask that you forward to us proposed statutory language
authorizing the program so that the Members can consider the same as part of
our review of those provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act scheduled to sunset on
February 3, 2006.
In addition, so that we may better understand the nature of the program, we
would ask that you forward to us the following:
- Any and all legal opinions and memorandum concerning the lawfulness of the
program.
- Any and all orders authorizing and reauthorizing the program
- Any and all records and information indicating the number of U.S. persons
for whom such surveillance was authorized
- Any and all records and information indicating the number of U.S. persons
for whom communication to or from them were intercepted
- Any and all records and information indicating the number of intercepted
communications occurring completely within the U.S.
- Any and all records identifying any members of the U.S. press, other U.S.
media or Members of Congress for whom communications to or from them were
intercepted
- Any and all records and information indicating how the information
concerning U.S. persons was stored, shared among various agencies and
departments, and whether, when and how such information is to be
destroyed.
To the extent any of the above includes classified information, we would be
willing to discuss a means by which certain information can be redacted.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Rep. John Conyers, Jr.; Rep. Bobby Scott; Rep. Lofgren; Rep. Nadler; Rep.
Tauscher; Rep. Jackson Lee; Rep. McDermott; Rep. Meehan; Rep. Olver; Rep.
Wexler; Rep. Inslee; Rep. Schakowsky; Rep. Doggett; Rep. Kucinich; Rep.
McCollum; Rep. Berman; Rep. Baldwin; Rep. Van Hollen; Rep. David Price; Rep.
Tom Udall; Rep. Ackerman; Rep. Wasserman Shultz; Rep. Sabo; Rep. Tierney; Rep.
Hinchey; Rep. Sanders
Update: Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has also signed onto the letter.
Originally published on Thursday January 5, 2006
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