[Infowarrior] - House Judiciary Committee passes resolution demanding NSA telecom requests

[Richard Forno]

House Judiciary Committee passes resolution demanding NSA telecom requests
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/House_Judiciary_Committee_passes_resolutio
n_demanding_0621.html

John Byrne
Published: Wednesday June 21, 2006

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The House Judiciary Committee unexpectedly passed a Democratic resolution
Wednesday morning calling on the Justice Department to turn over all
requests made by the National Security Agency and other federal agencies to
telephone service providers to obtain information without a warrant.

The measure was passed by a voice vote Wednesday morning with support of
Republican Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). It was introduced by
Florida Democrat Robert Wexler.

Sensenbrenner told the Committee he would bring the measure to the full
House floor for a vote if the Justice Department did not comply with his
earlier requests for information about the program.

The resolution is not a subpoena. It would have to pass the full House
before it had the effect of law.

Ranking Judiciary Democrat John Conyers (D-MI) applauded the move.

"I am pleased that the House Judiciary Committee is exercising its oversight
authority and demanding real answers of the Administration," Conyers said in
a statement. "We do not know how trillions of phone call records were
obtained, nor how they are being used. And there is no guarantee that this
private information will ever be destroyed."

The resolution comes on the heels of last month¹s revelation by USA Today
that the National Security Agency was amassing the phone records of
Americans in possible violation of federal law. Officials speaking under the
condition of anonymity estimated the collected phone records number in the
trillions.

The resolution follows.
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HRES 819 IH

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 819

Requesting the President and directing the Attorney General to submit to the
House of Representatives all documents in the possession of the President
and the Attorney General relating to requests made by the National Security
Agency and other Federal agencies to telephone service providers requesting
access to telephone communications records of persons in the United States
and communications originating and terminating within the United States
without a warrant.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 17, 2006

Mr. WEXLER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary

RESOLUTION

Requesting the President and directing the Attorney General to submit to the
House of Representatives all documents in the possession of the President
and the Attorney General relating to requests made by the National Security
Agency and other Federal agencies to telephone service providers requesting
access to telephone communications records of persons in the United States
and communications originating and terminating within the United States
without a warrant.

Resolved, That the President is requested and the Attorney General is
directed to submit to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days
after the date of the adoption of this resolution, all documents in the
possession of the President and the Attorney General, including all legal
opinions, relating to requests made without a warrant by the National
Security Agency or other Federal departments and agencies to telephone
service providers, including wireless telephone service providers, for
access to telephone communications records of persons in the United States
(other than as authorized under title I of the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) or chapter 119 or 121 of
title 18, United States Code), subject to necessary redactions or
requirements for handling classified documents.