Sen. Specter Threatens to Block NSA Funds

Posted on April 27, 2006

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter said Thursday he is considering legislation to cut off funding for the Bush administration’s secret domestic wiretapping program until he gets satisfactory answers about it from the White House.

“Institutionally, the presidency is walking all over Congress at the moment,” Specter, R-Pa., told the panel. “If we are to maintain our institutional prerogative, that may be the only way we can do it.”

Specter said he had informed President Bush about his intention and that he has attracted several potential co-sponsors. He said he’s become increasingly frustrated in trying to elicit information about the program from senior White House officials at several public hearings.

According to a copy of the amendment obtained by The Associated Press, it would enact a “prohibition on use of funds for domestic electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes unless Congress is kept fully and currently informed.”

Specter also agreed with Democrats who say that any of the bills to tighten guidelines for National Security Agency program and increase congressional oversight could be flatly ignored by an administration with a long history of acting alone in security matters.

“It is true that we have no assurance that the president would follow any statute that we enact,” Specter said. He said he’s considering adding an amendment to stop funding of the program to an Iraq war- hurricane relief bill being debated by the Senate this week and next.

Senior Republican officials said they had not received guidance about the legislation and could not say when it might come to the Senate floor.

Bush has insisted that the program falls within his authority.

“The appropriate members of Congress have been and continue to be informed with respect to the Terrorist Surveillance Program,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. “The Administration remains confident that a majority of members of Congress continue to recognize the importance of protecting Americans through lawful intelligence activities directed at terrorists.”

Specter’s announcement came a day after the House passed an bill 327- 96 to dramatically increase spending on intelligence programs. In the process, Republicans blocked an amendment to expand congressional oversight of the NSA’s warrantless surveillance program.

Sounds like Senator Specter has been listening to ACLU talking points.

“Our Founding Fathers insisted on preserving our liberty by limiting federal power and providing rules for the government to follow before invading our privacy. One of the things they most feared was unbridled, unchecked executive power.

“This administration’s track record on domestic spying and running rough shod over the Constitution is shameful. If Congress aids the president in sweeping the facts under the rug rather than getting them on the table, their crumbling to the presidential pressure rather than defending the Constitution will be equally shameful.”

When will these moonbats and RINO’s get it through their skulls that the reason it is so difficult to get information about this program, is that it is supposed to be classified? All of this political grandstanding on this issue is out of hand. If we are attacked again, and it could have been prevented by this program, you know who to point the finger at.

The ACLU are doing an email campaign to their members to have them call and encourage Specter.

Please call Senator Specter as soon as you get this message:

In Philadelphia: (215) 597-7200
In Pittsburgh: (412) 644-3400
In Harrisburg: (717) 782-3951
In Washington, DC: (202) 224-4254

Freepers are bombarding him with phone calls to let him know of their disapproval.