Fergie's Tech Blog

U.S. House Panel Approves Wiretap Inquiry Resolution

Stephanie Sonntag writes for UPI:

GOP lawmakers are threatening to pass a "resolution of inquiry" forcing the handover of documents about the president's program of warrantless wiretapping.

The House Judiciary Committee approved a Democrat-sponsored "resolution of inquiry" Wednesday requiring the administration to turn over records concerning any government requests for "access to telephone communications records of persons in the United States" not made under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or other criminal statutes.

At the committee meeting, Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wisc., expressed his frustration with the administration, which has stonewalled congressional requests for information about the controversial program -- designed to monitor telephone calls, e-mails and other electronic communications into and out of the United States by people believed linked to terrorist groups like al-Qaida.

"I have concerns about the justice department's lack of cooperation in providing the committee information," Sensenbrenner said, adding that the committee ought to approve the resolution to "send the administration a message."

posted by Fergie @ 6/22/2006 11:19:00 AM