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Congress members object
to "Patriot Act II"
in letter to the Attorney General
The following is a letter sent by several members of Congress to Attorney General John Ashcroft expressing concerning at recent moves by Justice Department:
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
We write to express my profound disappointment about your Department's handling of anti-terrorism policy. Recent reports irrefutably indicate that the Department of Justice has been working on a successor bill to the "USA Patriot Act" for some time. Notwithstanding the Judiciary Committee's jurisdiction in this matter and outstanding record of dealing with this legislation, the Committee reported a bipartisan version of the Patriot Act by a unanimous vote, according to the Chairman's spokesman, there have been no consultations with the Committee on this bill.
Your spokesperson, Barbara Comstock, claimed in a February 7 statement (attached) that the new draft bill was still in "internal deliberations" within the Department and still being discussed at "staff levels" and has not been "presented... to the White House." This is blatantly false in several respects, yet a Department of Justice "Control Sheet" (attached) plainly indicates that the bill was forwarded to the Speaker of the House and Vice President on January 10.
The Department's handling of this matter has only lent credence to suggestions that this Administration is intent on using the war on terrorism as a partisan political tool and the Justice Department is waiting to spring this bill on the Congress when the nation once again has endured a terrorist attack or is in the midst of war.
As Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and former Ranking Members of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, and the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims, we request immediate consultations on this legislation. Please reply no later than February 15.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Robert C. Scott
Sheila Jackson Lee
2-26-2003
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