--- From: "Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi)" <Brock.Meeksat_private> To: "'bbrightat_private'" <bbrightat_private>, declanat_private Subject: RE: FC: Ashcroft tells Congress that Patriot Act II is a ghost, f rom IP Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 09:10:19 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 The text below is the verbatim from the Federal Document Clearing House that does transcription services for congressional hearings. Other than this, I don't know where it might be online. ASHCROFT: Senator, with your permission, I'd like to respond to the suggestion that there is a PATRIOT Act II. When individuals indicate to you that if there is a proposal, we'll confer with you, I believe they are right. There is not a proposed Terrorist Act II from the Justice Department. No final discussion has been made with the attorney general about proposals. No final discussion has been made with the administration about proposals. Now, let me just say that we constantly are thinking of things that ought to be considered. And we believe that it's in the interest of the country that we think expansively and that we have a thorough and clear debate about them considering the pluses and the minuses. And we don't believe that it's appropriate to never mention anything unless it's already been decided that it's totally OK. You can't do that; consideration requires that. So if someone leaks the fact that there are items under consideration, that does not mean -- or that there is a matter of discussion -- that doesn't mean anything out of the ordinary. I hope that characterizes the fact that we are constantly considering how to improve. I want to assure you that there has been no bill, no proposal decided on. I am keenly aware that the administration cannot pass legislation. Only members of the Congress can pass legislation. It would be the height of absurdity for me to have a secret matter that I hope to make a law without telling Congress. I mean, I simply don't understand that. So we will confer. But I will prefer, if I can, to weed out things that I believe are inappropriate before I come to the Congress with an idea. FEINGOLD: General, I really urge you to do that. And let me just say that you know my view that the last time we had a USA PATRIOT Act that the kind of discussion and airing of the issues certainly did not happen. It's a debate about whether it could have happened. I appreciate your commitment to it happening in this case. And the fact is, there are some specific proposals or possible proposals out there. I don't think it's too early for people, like you and me and others, to start discussion whether they're a good idea. And I'm wondering if you could respond to my specific question, in the seconds I have, which is can you cite an example of a terrorist plot that went undetected because local police had their hands tied by consent decree of placing limits on their domestic spying capabilities? ASHCROFT: I cannot. FEINGOLD: Thank you, General. And of course, I look forward to discussing these provisions and, perhaps, we could follow up with a conversation about the items that we saw, at least in this draft, whatever this draft is. There's enough items there that people are raising concerns about that the conversations and consultations should begin now, in my view. ASHCROFT: Well, I don't believe that I should start to consult and defend things which I believe are indefensible or not a part of something that I would seek to propose. I guess that's my view. Until I have something that I think is appropriate, I don't know that I should engage in some discussion about something that we don't believe is appropriate. We could agree on a lot of these things that, hey, those don't belong in our discussion. -----Original Message----- From: bbrightat_private [<mailto:bbrightat_private>mailto:bbrightat_private] Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 10:20 AM To: declanat_private; Brock.Meeksat_private Subject: Re: FC: Ashcroft tells Congress that Patriot Act II is a ghost, from IP is this online anywhere? bb On 5 Mar 2003 at 8:29, Declan McCullagh wrote: Date sent: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 08:29:25 -0500 To: politechat_private From: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Subject: FC: Ashcroft tells Congress that Patriot Act II is a ghost, from IP Send reply to: declanat_private ------ Forwarded Message From: "Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi)" <Brock.Meeksat_private> Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 09:23:30 -0800 To: "'daveat_private'" <daveat_private> Subject: Ashcroft: Patriot II is a ghost Sen. Russ Feingold just a few minutes ago during a hearing this morning on Homeland Security asked Atty. Gen. Ashcroft why he hadn't come to Congress to discuss provision of the "Patriot Act II." Ashcroft replied, categorically, that "there is no Patriot Act II. That said, it doesn't mean that we aren't constantly thinking and discussing how to make things better, safer," Ashcroft said. "So if there are some leaks... it's about what we've been thinking," Ashcroft said. "There has been no bill decided on, no proposal decided on," Ashcroft said. "It would be the height of absurdity to have a bill I want to make law without informing Congress first." Feingold wasn't buying what Ashcroft was saying. "Well, there is something out there," Feingold shot back, "and I'd appreciate you coming to Congress first." Ashcroft finished off saying that "Until I think we have something appropriate" to discuss "I don't think we should engage in debate on something until it's appropriate." ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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