Leahy Grants Administration Request For Extension,
Urges White House To Use Time To Gather Information To Turn Over

[Background:  Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in consultation with Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), issued subpoenas on June 27 to the Department of Justice, the White House Office, the Office of the Vice President, and the National Security Council for documents relating to the authorization and legal justification for the Administration's warrantless wiretapping program.  The Committee’s subpoenas were tailored to seek information relating only to the authorization and legal justification for the program; the Committee has not sought any intimate operational facts or details relating to the program.  The Judiciary Committee had earlier authorized the subpoenas by a bipartisan 13-3 vote.  The return date on the subpoenas is Wednesday, July 18.  

Late this afternoon, Chairman Leahy received letters from the White House Counsel and the Counsel to the Vice President seeking an extension of time for the Administration to respond to the Judiciary Committee’s subpoenas.  Chairman Leahy has granted the Administration’s request and will work with Administration officials in the coming days to determine a reasonable timetable for compliance with the Committee’s subpoenas.  The Administration’s letters are attached.] 

Comment Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On Bush Administration’s Request For Extension
Of Subpoena Deadline On Warrantless Wiretapping Documents
July 17, 2007

“The Judiciary Committee is willing to accommodate reasonable requests and to work with the Administration on its response to these subpoenas.  I hope the White House uses this additional time constructively to finish gathering the relevant information and then works with us in good faith on ways to provide it so that we will have the information we need to conduct effective oversight at long last.

“Congressional oversight is necessary to determine whether this Administration has conducted itself appropriately in carrying out and defending the President’s warrantless surveillance program.  The Judiciary Committee’s inquiry into the legal justification for the surveillance program is essential to performing its legislative and constitutional oversight responsibilities.”

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