Chairman Conyers: “I’m Staying Here to Work on FISA”

[kpete]

Chairman Conyers: “I’m Staying Here to Work on FISA”
February 14th, 2008 by Jesse Lee
From the Judiciary Committee:


Conyers: I’m Staying Here to Work on FISA

(Washington, DC)- House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. released the following statement to President Bush’s commitment to work on foreign surveillance legislation through the recess:

“The President’s efforts to cast blame on FISA, echoed by his allies in Congress, show an appalling disregard for the facts. He threatened to veto any extension of the Protect America Act and, following his lead, every single Republican in the House voted against the 21 day extension I sponsored in the House. The President and House Republicans cannot have it both ways, simultaneously arguing that the PAA is essential to national security and also engineering the defeat of an extension of it. The consequences for inaction are their responsibility.

“Unfortunately, it is the same old tired rhetoric of fear that the country overwhelmingly rejected in the 2006 elections.

“From what I have seen from the Justice Department documents so far, there is no need to provide amnesty to telecommunication companies who are protected under current law, as long as they and the government are acting accordingly. I have not seen anything that leads me to believe, as the President seems to believe, that providing amnesty to these companies is a more compelling public interest than our Constitutionally protected right to privacy. We must maintain our civil liberties and give the government the tools it needs to collect intelligence information, but I do not believe telecom amnesty is necessary in order to accomplish that goal.

“I have told my colleagues in the House that I am committed to working through this recess and will be discussing this legislation with Chairman Reyes and Senators Leahy and Rockefeller. I appreciate the President’s dedication to seeing this through and hope that he will join me in putting Americans before corporate interests.”

more at:
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1141
and along these lines from Scott Horton:
"I believe that Judiciary Committee Chair Conyers decided to plow ahead on this front for a specific reason." (IMPEACHMENT?)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2869405&mesg_id=2869405

[blondeatlast]

1. Backatcha, Shrub! I LOVE this--Go Conyers! nt

[kentuck]

2. How about this idea, Chairman Conyers?

Let's see if the Telecoms deserve immunity? Why not subpoena the CEOs of each of them before your Committtee and lets get a few questions cleared up before we issue a blanket immunity? First of all, did you spy on any American citizens at the behest of this White House? How much were you paid to cooperate with this White House? Did you cut off their account because they were late in paying? Would you have done this without being paid? What exactly was in that secret room out in San Francisco? Do you believe we are a nation of laws or a nation of men? Do you think it is more important to follow the advice of the President, Democrat or Republican, or the Constitution of the United States? Just for starers, could you answer those few questions?

[shraby]

5. Testify UNDER OATH and nothing less.

[electropop]

3. How about telecom amnesty - as part of compelling them to testify

against Bushco?

[lazyriver]

7. Now that's an amnesty clause I can live with but also the reason

Bushco wants to give them immunity now. If they already have it, they won't be compelled to testify if and when that glorious day comes when Bushco's sorry asses get hauled into court for their crimes.

[electropop]

8. That's my point: we could force Bushco's hand - reveal the real reason

he wants to protect them: to protect himself.

[spanone]

4. thank you congressman conyers....k&r

[malaise]

6. Nice bumber sticker

Americans before corporate interests