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For Immediate Release
March 16, 2006 |
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Shays, Maloney, Udall Fight
for Stronger, Well-Funded Civil Liberties Board
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representatives Christopher
Shays (R-CT), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Tom Udall (D-NM)
introduced legislation that strengthens the Privacy and Civil
Liberties Oversight Board and requires the President to provide
a specific funding line for the Board. The 9-11 Commission
Civil Liberties Board Act addresses the concerns the
9/11 Commission expressed in their Final Report Card, in which
the Administration received a “D” for its “very
little urgency” and “insufficient” funding
for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Original cosponsors of the 9-11 Commission Civil Liberties
Board Act include Representatives Pete Stark (D-CA),
Major Owens (D-NY), Ed Case (D-HI) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS).
“I believe during a time of war the government must
have more powers. But with more power, comes the necessity
for more protections of our freedom. The choice between security
and liberty is a false choice,” Shays said. “A
robust Civil Liberties Board with a qualified staff and adequate
funding is an important step towards protecting civil liberties.
The bill we are introducing today does just that.”
"The protection of civil liberties is perhaps more relevant
than ever, but the civil liberties board as it currently exists
is not what the 9/11 Commission envisioned or recommended,"
Maloney said. "A year and a half after it was created
and a month after the board's Senate confirmation, it still
hasn't even met. We need to get the board the tools it needs
and the board needs to get to work."
Udall added, “Today, we are once again urging for a
fully funded Civil Liberties Oversight Board to serve as our
country’s independent watchdog. The notion that our
fundamental rights must be violated to maintain national security
is outrageous. Clearly our country is headed in the wrong
direction regarding protecting our civil liberties, and implementing
this board will serve as an important first step to bring
our nation back on course.”
This bill builds on H.R. 1310, the Protection of Civil
Liberties Act, which Maloney introduced and Shays and
Udall cosponsored.
Among other provisions, the 9-11 Commission Civil Liberties
Board Act:
- Requires the President to include a specific funding
line for the Board in the Administration’s annual
budget;
- Gives the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
subpoena power;
- Makes the Board an independent agency in the executive
branch;
- Requires that all five members of the Board be Senate-confirmed
and the make-up of the Board to be bipartisan;
- Ensures the Board regularly reports to Congress; and
- Places Privacy and Civil Liberties Officers in every
executive department or agency with law enforcement or antiterrorism
functions.
The Administration’s FY 06 budget proposal included
$750,000 for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
An amendment offered by Shays and Maloney doubled the funding
for the Board to $1.5 million.
The Administration’s FY 07 budget proposal does not
have a specific funding line for the Board. Shays and Maloney,
with 22 colleagues, wrote the President asking for a strong
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and specified
funding. The letter can be found at http://www.house.gov/maloney/issues/Homeland/022106ltrCivilLiberties.pdf.
The 9/11 Commission Report Card can be found at http://www.9-11pdp.org/press/2005-12-05_report.pdf
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