Index: [thread] [date] [subject] [author]
  From: Bryan Brooks <bab74@columbia.edu>
  To  : <cpc@emoglen.law.columbia.edu>
  Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:42:39 -0400

Sen. Specter threatens to cut off funding for secret wiretaps

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter
said Thursday he is considering legislation to cut off funding for the
Bush administration's secret domestic wiretapping program until he gets
satisfactory answers about it from the White House.
"Institutionally, the presidency is walking all over Congress at the
moment," Specter, R-Pennsylvania, told the panel. "If we are to maintain
our institutional prerogative, that may be the only way we can do it."
Specter said he had informed President Bush about his intention and that
he has attracted several potential co-sponsors. He said he's become
increasingly frustrated in trying to elicit information about the
program from senior White House officials at several public hearings.
Specter also agreed with Democrats who say that any of the bills to
tighten guidelines for the National Security Agency program and increase
congressional oversight could be flatly ignored by an administration
with a long history of acting alone in security matters.
"It is true that we have no assurance that the president would follow
any statute that we enact," Specter said. He said he's considering
adding an amendment to stop funding of the program to an Iraq
war-hurricane relief bill being debated by the Senate this week and
next.
Senior Republican officials said they had not received guidance about
the legislation and could not say when it might come before the
committee or to the Senate floor.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Specter's announcement came a day after the House passed a bill 327-96
to dramatically increase spending on intelligence programs. In the
process, Republicans blocked an amendment to expand congressional
oversight of the NSA warrantless surveillance program.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, said
allegations that NSA domestic wiretapping operations are abusive or
unconstitutional are outrageous and that Congress is committed to
vigorous oversight of the program.
Copyright 2006 The Associated
<http://www.cnn.com/interactive_legal.html#AP>  Press. All rights
reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
 
 
Bryan A. Brooks
Columbia Law School
Class of 2006
 
"True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to
see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."
- MLK, Jr.
 
"Where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable."  
- Myles Munroe
 
 

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<div class=3DSection1>

<p><b><font size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:10.5=
pt;
font-weight:bold'>WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Ar=
len
Specter said Thursday he is considering legislation to cut off funding for =
the
Bush administration's secret domestic wiretapping program until he gets
satisfactory answers about it from the White House.</span></font></b><o:p><=
/o:p></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>"Institutionally,
the presidency is walking all over Congress at the moment," Specter,
R-Pennsylvania, told the panel. "If we are to maintain our institution=
al <span
class=3DGramE>prerogative, that</span> may be the only way we can do it.&qu=
ot;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>Specter
said he had informed President Bush about his intention and that he has
attracted several potential co-sponsors. He said he's become increasingly
frustrated in trying to elicit information about the program from senior Wh=
ite
House officials at several public hearings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>Specter
also agreed with Democrats who say that any of the bills to tighten guideli=
nes
for the National Security Agency program and increase congressional oversig=
ht
could be flatly ignored by an administration with a long history of acting
alone in security matters.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>"It
is true that we have no assurance that the president would follow any statu=
te
that we enact," Specter said. He said he's considering adding an amend=
ment
to stop funding of the program to an Iraq war-hurricane relief bill being
debated by the Senate this week and next.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>Senior
Republican officials said they had not received guidance about the legislat=
ion
and could not say when it might come before the committee or to the Senate
floor.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>The White
House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<o:p></o:p></spa=
n></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>Specter's
announcement came a day after the House passed a bill 327-96 to dramatically
increase spending on intelligence programs. In the process, Republicans blo=
cked
an amendment to expand congressional oversight of the NSA warrantless
surveillance program.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'=
>House
Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, said allegations
that NSA domestic wiretapping operations are abusive or unconstitutional are
outrageous and that Congress is committed to vigorous oversight of the prog=
ram.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><span class=3DGramE><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>Copyright 2006 The <a
href=3D"http://www.cnn.com/interactive_legal.html#AP" target=3D"_blank">Ass=
ociated
Press</a>.</span></font></span> All rights reserved.This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:1=
0.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:1=
0.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>Bryan A. Brooks<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>Columbia Law School<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>Class of 2006<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>"True compassion is more than flinging a coin=
 to
a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs
restructuring."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>- MLK, Jr.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>“Where purpose is not known, abuse is
inevitable.”<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span><o:p></o:p=
></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>- Myles Munroe<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D=
'font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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