Jane Harman: On the Right Side of the Surveillance Debate

A blog entry posted on the Huffington Post a few days ago by Tom Hayden argues that Rep. Jane Harman (CA-36) should be defeated in her primary June 6th for failing to speak out about the President's NSA program.

Congresswoman Harman takes her oversight responsibilities seriously, as do I. We both have signed secrecy agreements and respect the classification laws that prevent us from publicly disclosing classified information we learn during briefings. During these sporadic briefings, she was not permitted to take notes, consult colleagues or staff, conduct research, or discuss the matter with anyone outside the briefing room.

Once the President disclosed the program in December 2005, Congresswoman Harman has been leading the charge to conduct tough oversight over the NSA program by Congress. She believes the White House violated the law by failing to brief the full Committee and by conducting surveillance of Americans without a warrant.