October 27, 2004 Letter to Senators Warner and Allen and Representative Moran
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
October 27, 2004
The Honorable John William Warner
United States Senate
225 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4601
The Honorable George F. Allen
United States Senate
204 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4604
The Honorable James P. Moran
U.S House of Representatives
2239 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4608
Dear Senators Warner and Allen and Representative Moran:
As your constituent, I urge you to help guarantee the creation of a strong and independent civil liberties and privacy board as part of the intelligence reform legislation currently being debated by House and Senate leadership.
I have read that the 9/11 Commission endorsed the creation of a strong board. Yet in its version of the legislation to implement the commission’s recommendations, the House rejected the creation of a board, a position that the Bush White House has endorsed. Fortunately, however, the bipartisan Senate version of the legislation included a strong board.
After months of consideration, testimony and review, the 9/11 Commission recommended restructuring the intelligence community in the United States and strongly urged the creation of an Oversight Board with powers to hold hearings, examine classified information, issue public reports and subpoena non governmental witnesses and documents. I believe that creating a more powerful intelligence operation without the counterbalance and oversight of a review board could lead to serious abuses.
I also believe that the consolidation of government surveillance powers under an Intelligence Director requires strong, independent oversight, as is proposed in the Senate’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. This board is essential to the protection of our freedoms, and will provide both the Congress and the public with the information they need to ensure that our freedoms are not trampled in the name of national security.
The House Republican version of the intelligence restructuring legislation does not create a board, and provides for no credible counterbalance to protect the public’s civil liberties and privacy from a greatly empowered intelligence operation. The Bush White House also dismisses the need for an independent civil liberties board. I believe that the House and White House are headed in the wrong direction and urge you to help protect this critical component to intelligence reform.
As a former Marine and Gulf War veteran, I believe that we can be both safe and free and that the final intelligence reform bill must include the creation of a powerful and independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to act as a watchdog over our civil liberties. My oath to support and defend the Constitution requires me to make urge your support to defend our civil liberties by providing real oversight. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this important issue.
Sincerely,
James Landrith