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Deadline missed on surveillance
Cox
News Service
Tuesday Aug 21, 2007
The White House failed to meet a Monday deadline for turning
over to Congress documents related to a secret terrorist surveillance
program.
But a senior Democratic lawmaker signaled a willingness to discuss
an administration offer to reach a “possible accommodation.”
White House officials said the documents contained sensitive
national security information that was protected from disclosure
by executive privilege.
But White House Counsel Fred Fielding sent a letter to Patrick
Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that said
the executive branch would be willing to work out an agreement
to avoid further conflict.
(Article continues below)
“We do hope you and your committee members will consider
our request to expeditiously seek a means of accommodation that
will negate the need for an assertion of executive privilege,”
Fielding wrote.
Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania
Republican, the ranking member of the panel, want the White House
to reveal its legal justification for secretly authorizing the
National Security Agency to eavesdrop on domestic telephone calls
and e-mails without a warrant.
Leahy appeared skeptical of the White House’s offer to
reach an accord.
“The only accommodation you tend to get from the White
House is: Do it our way and we’ll be happy with you,”
said Leahy.
The legal reasoning behind the surveillance program is important
for Congress to understand if it is going to approve legislation
authorizing the continuation of the domestic eavesdropping program.
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