Note there is a difference between Rep. Sensenbrenner being "deeply troubled" about the substance of the FBI's new authority -- compared to the mechanism by which the bureau got it. If we take his statement below at face value, he's mostly concerned about the procedure, not the new powers themselves. Also see Sen. Leahy's FBI Reform Act statement: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200205/052902.html Previous Politech message: "Ashcroft on new investigation rules: FBI has been 'frustrated'" http://www.politechbot.com/p-03592.html -Declan --- U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Chairman _______________________________________ www.house.gov/judiciary News Advisory For immediate release Contact: Terry Shawn May 31, 2002 202-225-2492 Chairman Sensenbrenner Reacts to Revised Investigative Guidelines for the FBI WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) issued the following statement today in response to Attorney General John Ashcroft's announcement of revised investigative guidelines for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Yesterday, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller announced new guidelines for the conduct of criminal investigations by the FBI. I am deeply troubled by the Department of Justice's failure to consult with Congress over changes to investigative policies that have been in place for more than 20 years." "The House Judiciary Committee has a history of working with the FBI on these guidelines. In the past, I supported them as an important limitation on FBI investigative practices to prevent the abuses of the 1960s and 1970s. Many believed at the time that these guidelines were essential to restore faith in the FBI." "These important safeguards of American privacy and freedom should not be significantly altered without careful consideration and a full explanation of the reasons for any changes. I look forward to hearing the Attorney General's and the FBI Director's testimony before the Judiciary Committee in the near future regarding the decision to revise these guidelines." ###30### ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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