Letter to Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Letter to Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senator Pat Roberts
Chairman
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
On December 19,2005, six members of the Select Committee on Intelligence wrote to you requesting that our Committee undertake an immediate inquiry into the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program recently confirmed by the President.
In the intervening five weeks, the Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing with the Attorney General to receive testimony on the program and numerous high-level Administration 9fficials, including former National Security Agency Director and current Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence General Michael Hayden, have been giving public speeches detailing the program and taking questions from members of the media.
To date, our Committee has not announced its intention to thoroughly investigate the program, nor has it scheduled hearings to receive testimony about the program from former and current United States Government officials instrumental in the authorization and operation of the program.
We understand that you have indicated a willingness to discuss possible Committee actions at some future date. We believe, however, the significance of this intelligence collection program and the controversy it has engendered requires our Committee to take immediate action.
Senate Resolution 400 requires our Committee to both understand and evaluate the intelligence activities of the United States Government, including "the collection, analysis, production, dissemination, or use of information about activities of persons within the United States, its territories and possessions, or nationals of the United States abroad whose political and related activities pose... a threat to the internal security of the United States, and covert or clandestine activities directed against such persons."
Therefore, pursuant to Rule 1 of the Select Committee ON Intelligence rules of procedure, we request that you call a meeting of the Committee for the purpose of authorizing an immediate investigation into the facts and law surrounding the National Security Agency domestic surveillance program authorized by the President, including requests for documents, staff
interviews, and the scheduling of hearings where the Committee can receive testimony on the legal justifications for and the operational conduct of the program.
Sincerely,
Jay Rockefeller
Barbara Mikulski
Russ Feingold
Ron Wyden
Diane Feinstein
Carl Levin
Evan Bayh
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/news/2006/1-24%20dem%20hearing%20letter.pdf