Chabot Subcommittee Holds Oversight Hearing Tuesday on the USA-PATRIOT Act

5/19/2003

From: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 202-225-2492

News Advisory:

WHAT: Oversight hearing entitled, "Anti-Terrorism Investigations and the Fourth Amendment After September 11: Where and When Can the Government Go to Prevent Terrorist Attacks?"

WHO: Subcommittee on the Constitution -- Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), chairman

WHEN: 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 20

WHERE: 2141 Rayburn Building

Since this Nation's founding over 200 years ago, debate has raged concerning the government's ability to protect its citizens and its citizen's personal liberties. Last year's revisions to the investigative guidelines employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the enactment of the USA-PATRIOT Act in 2001 brought these issues into a clear focus; what are and should be the limits to the government's access to information, particularly if this information could be valuable to anti-terrorism efforts?

Issues... -- The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and prohibits the issuance of warrants without probable cause. This hearing will consider... -- How the implementation of the USA-PATRIOT Act and some recent changes to the FBI's investigative guidelines comport with the Fourth Amendment. -- Where and when the federal government can search electronic communications, library records, and public settings to prevent terrorist attacks under recent changes made to laws governing federal investigations.

Witnesses: Viet D. Dinh, assistant attorney general, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice; James Dempsey, executive director, The Center for Democracy and Technology; Orin Kerr, associate law professor, George Washington University Law School; and Paul Rosenzweig, senior research fellow, the Heritage Foundation.