FC: EPIC letter to Congress: Office of Homeland Security is stalling

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 13:59:35 -0400
To: declan () well com
From: Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg () epic org>
Subject: EPIC Letter to Senate on Homeland Security budget
Cc: Mihir Kshirsagar <mihir () mail epic org>

Declan -

We sent the following letter today to Senators Byrd and Stevens
regarding the hearings over the next two days on the budget for
"homeland security." Further information regarding the Office of
Homeland Security, as well as a copy of our complaint filed in
District Court, may be found at http://www.epic.org/open_gov/homeland/

Regards,

Marc Rotenberg
EPIC

                                                                April 9, 2002
Senator Robert C. Byrd
Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
311 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4801
Fax: (202) 228-0002

Senator Ted Stevens
Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Committee
522 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0201
Fax: (202) 224-2354

Re: Statement for Hearings on Homeland Security Budget

Dear Senators Byrd and Stevens,

        We write to express our support for your hearings on the
        President's homeland security budget and our hope that the
        public will have the opportunity to hear testimony from the
        Office of Homeland Security in the near future.  The OHS may
        soon be responsible for directing a 38 billion dollar budget. We
        share your concern that the significant new powers allocated to
        the OHS require meaningful public oversight.

        Congressional oversight of the OHS goes hand in hand with the
        opportunity for public oversight through the Freedom of
        Information Act.  On March 20, 2002 the Electronic Privacy
        Information Center submitted a FOIA request to the OHS
        requesting records concerning the agency's efforts to develop a
        system of National identification.  We submitted this request
        because of the significant implications for privacy and civil
        liberties in America if such a system were deployed, and because
        we believe that the OHS should be subject to the same open
        record laws that govern other federal agencies that engage in
        substantial policymaking.

        Despite a statutory obligation to render a decision on an
        expedited request within 10 days, the OHS has not responded to
        EPIC's request.  As a result, EPIC filed suit in the District
        Court for the District of Columbia seeking the disclosure of
        these records (EPIC v. OHS, Civil Action No. 06-0260).  It is
        imperative that the OHS comply with the Freedom of Information
        Act, a law that helps ensure the preservation of open government
        and the protection of the constitutional values of the United
        States.

        We request that this letter and attached complaint be placed in
        the hearing record.

                                                        Sincerely yours,


                                                        Marc Rotenberg
                                                        Executive Director




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