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House of Reps. Passes Act To Limit TIA Powers

Posted by timothy on from the that's-sweet-of-them dept.

WigginX writes "As part of the 2004 Defense Appropriations Act, approved yesterday by the House of Representatives, no government agency may implement any part of Terrorism Information Awareness (formerly Total Information Awareness) without authorization from Congress. The Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy has mirrored the text of the provision."

1 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. Good? Bad? Just neutral? by captainktainer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's a nice sentiment... but honestly, I don't think it'll do much good. Congress has a bad habit of tacking on things in amendments without people caring about it. After the furor dies down, it'll be quietly authorized and all this effort will have been for nothing.

    I'd also like to point out that the White House may well decide to authorize it anyway using an executive order, since this administration agrees with Gephardt on the issue of executive supremacy. Because the CIA, NSA, and FBI are executive agencies, the White House may be able to authorize the project anyway under a different name and tell Congres to go shove itself. Constitutionally shaky, yes, but very possible in today's civil liberties-impaired legal system.

    That being said, I grant conditional respect to many House Republicans and Democrats alike for speaking out against the TIA. Even if this provision is merely a postponement of the inevitable, I am grateful for every moment of precious liberty.