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November 26, 2002 Harman Urges Bush To Appoint Senior Official To Homeland Security Department To Guard Against Privacy Infringements“It is vital that the Department rebalance privacy and security from Day One” Washington, DC - In a letter to President Bush, Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Los Angeles) called for the immediate appointment of a senior official to oversee privacy and civil liberties at the newly created Department of Homeland Security. “It is vital that the Department rebalance privacy and security from Day One or we are in danger of never getting it right,” said Harman. Harman’s request was prompted by recent events that have sparked public concerns about civil liberties, including the increased publicity surrounding the Total Information Awareness program at DARPA, the first ever ruling of the FISA Review Court, and the Freedom of Information Act provisions in the homeland security legislation. The text of Harman’s letter to the President follows: November 25, 2002 President George W. Bush Dear Mr. President: As you begin the enormously complex effort to establish
the Department of Homeland Security, most attention will rightfully be
focused on difficult policy and logistical decisions. For this reason,
it is imperative to have a senior and well respected official in place
to protect civil liberties and privacy rights. Recent events, including the increased publicity around
the Total Information Awareness program at DARPA, the first ever ruling
of the FISA Review Court, and Freedom of Information Act provisions in
the homeland security legislation, have sparked public concern over civil
liberty issues. These and similar issues demonstrate the importance of
incorporating civil liberty protections in new security arrangements as
they proceed, which will benefit from Homeland Security personnel dedicated
to this task. I urge you to appoint a senior official to oversee privacy
and civil liberties. The homeland security legislation calls for a Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties Officer (Sec. 705) and a Privacy Officer (Sec.
222). Neither position requires Senate confirmation, allowing an appointee
to begin oversight over civil liberty protections immediately. The balance between security and liberties is always
difficult to discern and an important matter of national debate. In the
post-9/11 era, the United States must accept that increased government
action is necessary for our safety and security, even though these actions
may impact some of the freedoms Americans have long cherished. But it
is of critical importance that the federal government observe, uphold,
and steadfastly protect the liberties and freedoms that underpin our society. I was and am a strong proponent of your homeland security initiative, and look forward to working with your appointees in the coming year.
### Protecting Privacy Rights Post-9/11
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