Hatch And Leahy Announce Bipartisan Examination
Of War Against Terrorism

...Judiciary Committee Will Hold Additional Oversight Hearings

Washington – Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ranking Democrat, today announced plans for the Committee to hold a new series of oversight hearings on the adequacy of federal laws to help prevent and respond to acts of terrorism in the United States.

 Senators Hatch and Leahy will hold the hearings as part of the Judiciary Committee’s oversight responsibilities. The first hearing is tentatively scheduled for October 21. 

This bipartisan inquiry will include a review of how effective the current laws are at protecting America; whether additional tools, reporting obligations and oversight may be needed; and the implications to security, privacy and civil liberties of current laws including the USA PATRIOT Act. Additionally, Senators Hatch and Leahy will request information from the Justice Department on how law enforcement and intelligence agencies are using existing laws to combat terrorism.

“We will launch a rigorous, bipartisan examination of the issues Americans are concerned about when it comes to combating terrorism," said Hatch.  “We’re going to cut through the confusion and distortion and get the facts necessary to find out if we are we protecting both our citizens’ lives and their liberties."

Leahy agreed, emphasizing, "In order for these hearings to be successful, we will need to confront some difficult questions. We need to know more about how the tools we gave the government in the USA PATRIOT Act are being used. Which are working, and how well? Which are not working, and why? Have any struck the wrong balance, threatening the civil liberties of our citizens while doing little or nothing to improve the nation's security? Oversight is an important responsibility of the Congress and our committee, and thorough and constructive oversight makes government work better. I welcome the opportunity to work with the Chairman on this effort, and I encourage the Administration's full cooperation so that this inquiry can be as effective as the American people deserve it to be."

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