[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6810-S6811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 524--CONDEMNING THE UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE AND 
   PUBLICATION OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ABOUT THE TERRORIST FINANCE 
TRACKING PROGRAM, THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY'S TERRORIST SURVEILLANCE 
          PROGRAM, AND OTHER VITAL COUNTER-TERRORISM PROGRAMS

  Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Roberts) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 524

       Whereas on June 22, 2006, news organizations publicly 
     disclosed the existence of an ongoing, highly classified 
     national security program to track terrorists' financial 
     transactions, known formally as the ``Terrorist Finance 
     Tracking Program'';
       Whereas the President condemned the unauthorized leak and 
     subsequent publication in the strongest possible terms, 
     calling those acts ``disgraceful'' and explaining that public 
     disclosure of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program ``does 
     great harm to the United States of America'';
       Whereas the Secretary of the Treasury noted that this 
     unauthorized leak of classified information and subsequent 
     publication ``undermined a highly successful counter-
     terrorism program and alerted terrorists to the methods and 
     sources used to track their money trails'';
       Whereas similar to the leaks and public disclosure of the 
     National Security Agency's Terrorist Surveillance Program, 
     the disclosure of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program puts 
     America's terrorist enemies on notice of tactics used to hunt 
     them down and makes defending against further terrorist 
     attacks more difficult;
       Whereas Administration officials and the co-chairmen of the 
     9/11 Commission (a Democrat and a Republican) urged news 
     organizations to refrain from publicly disclosing the 
     existence of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program because 
     of the probable harm to America's national security;
       Whereas there have been no credible allegations of abuse or 
     infringements on civil liberties in the execution of the 
     Terrorist Finance Tracking Program;
       Whereas the 9/11 Commission in its Final Report concluded 
     that ``information about terrorist money helps us to 
     understand their networks, search them, and disrupt their 
     operations'';
       Whereas the 9/11 Commission had given the Administration 
     high marks in its pursuit of terrorist-finance networks, and 
     recommended that ``vigorous efforts to track terrorist 
     financing must remain front and

[[Page S6811]]

     center in U.S. counter-terrorism efforts''; and
       Whereas the United States must remain vigilant in its War 
     on Terror: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate joins the President in condemning the 
     damaging leaks and subsequent publication of vital national 
     security information about the Terrorist Finance Tracking 
     Program and the National Security Agency's Terrorist 
     Surveillance Program; and
       (2) it is the sense of the Senate that the Department of 
     Justice should vigorously and tirelessly investigate and 
     prosecute any and all persons responsible for the 
     unauthorized disclosure to news organizations of the 
     Terrorist Finance Tracking Program, the National Security 
     Agency's Terrorist Surveillance Program, and other vital 
     counter-terrorism programs.

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