With so many TeamConyersBlog members at Kos today, this is a posting many of you have already seen, but I want to cross-post it for those that may have missed it. For those of you who commented over at Kos, thank you for the valuable contributions to the discourse you made there. This is just scratching the surface of the work we are undertaking on the illegal NSA wiretapping so look here for more developments soon.
Cross-posted at DailyKos.com
Last night, I filed an amicus brief with 71 other Democratic Members of Congress in two cases challenging the Bush Administration's illegal warrantless domestic spying. It is very disturbing that, on the same day we learn that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone records of tens of millions of Americans, we also learn that the Department of Justice has abruptly cancelled its investigation into the Agency's warrantless wiretapping program. These developments clearly point to the urgent need for oversight and review of this program. Congress has failed to provide this critical oversight which has led us to the courts.
former NSA Director Bobby Ray Inman who has come forward to confirm that the Administration failed to obey the law with its warrantless eavesdropping. Having led the NSA when the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was drafted, Inman declared "this activity is not authorized." He is right. Congress never authorized it and the Authorization for Use of Military Force against Afghanistan did not provide the President the sweeping authority he is now claiming.
The cases ACLU v. NSA and CCR v. Bush are pending in Detroit and New York, and the plaintiffs are seeking summary judgment and an injunction against the government to stop the program immediately. The government must file its responses by the end of next week in both cases. I am very encouraged that, in a very short period of time, a strong showing of House Democrats joined me in this legal challenge. This success follows the court case against the administration's unconstitutional passage of the DRA, in which the top ranking Democrats from 8 Committees joined me as plaintiffs. These actions underscore our commitment as Democrats to right the wrongs of this administration and to do so with cohesiveness and determination.
http://www.conyersblog.us/http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/11/133815/500
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
