Letter to Speaker of the House from civil rights/civil liberties coalition, March 2003

The Honorable Dennis Hastert
Speaker, House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In recent weeks, there have been reports that the Administration intends to submit new anti-terrorism legislation to the Congress, including the release of draft legislation that became public on February 7, 2003. While the undersigned organizations may have differing views on some of the substantive provisions of the draft Domestic Security Enhancement Act, we are all deeply concerned that anti-terrorism measures not erode basic civil liberties. To that end, we write to ask for your commitment concerning the procedures that the House of Representatives will use in considering the AdministrationŐs proposals, if and when they are presented to Congress. This legislation, like any proposal dedicated to reducing the risk of terrorism, should be considered calmly and deliberately with a determination to protect both national security and the liberties and freedoms at the core of the American way of life.

Accordingly, we urge you to ensure that the House of Representatives follows normal parliamentary procedures when it takes up any new anti-terrorism legislation. The AdministrationŐs bill should not be considered until it has gone through the full OMB clearance process. The bill should be referred to the Judiciary and other appropriate committees on a schedule that provides adequate time for full and careful analysis. Those committees should hold extensive hearings, where the Administration can explain its views in detail and outside groups can respond, before marking up the bill. To ensure that the final legislation benefits from this careful review, the bill that is brought to the floor of the House should be the one that has been reported out by the appropriate committees.

By following these procedures, the House is more likely to ensure that any legislation it enacts will properly reconcile the requirements of security with the demands of liberty. We know that you share this goal, and we look forward to your leadership and assistance.

American Friends Service Committee
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Arab-American Institute
Center for Democracy and Technology
Center for National Security Studies
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
Common Cause
Constitution Project
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Libertarian Party
Open Society Policy Center
People For the American Way
Project on Government Oversight
Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Free Speech | Data Privacy | Government Surveillance | Cryptography | Domain Names | International | Bandwidth | Security | Internet Standards, Technology and Policy Project | Terrorism | Authentication | Right to Know | Spam

Our Mission / Get Involved / Staff / Publications / Links / Search CDT / Jobs / Action! Previous Headlines | Legislative Tracking | CDT's Privacy Policy