Press Advisory
Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan, 14th District
January 18, 06
Conyers and Others To Hold Democratic Hearing On
Domestic Spying Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressmen John Conyers, Jr., Bobby Scott and Chris Van Hollen and other Members to hold a
Democratic Hearing to consider the legal ramifications of President Bush's warrantless surveillance.
Regarding the hearing, Conyers stated, "last month all 17 House Judiciary Democrats called on Chairman Sensenbrenner to
convene hearings to investigate the President's use of the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance involving
U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, in apparent contravention of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. As our request has
since been ignored, it is our job, as Members of Congress, to review the program and consider whether our criminal laws
have been violated and our citizen's constitutional rights trampled upon. We simply cannot tolerate a situation where
the Administration is operating as prosecutor, judge and jury and excluding Congress and the courts from providing any
meaningful check or balance to the process."
WHO: Reps. John Conyers, Jr., Bobby Scott, Chris Van Hollen, Adam Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jerrold Nadler and Maurice
Hinchey
Witnesses: Bruce Fein - Associate Deputy Attorney General under Reagan
Professor Jonathan Turley - George Washington Law School
Richard Hersh - The Truth Project
James Bamford - Author of the Puzzle Palace
Caroline Frederickson - Washington Legislative Director, ACLU
Kate Martin - Director, Center for National Security Studies
WHAT: Democratic Hearing on Domestic Spying Program
WHEN: Friday, January 20, 2006 @ 11:00am
WHERE: B339 Rayburn House Office Building