[Congressional Record: June 29, 2006 (Senate)]
[Page S6810-S6811]




                         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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