b.cognosco

Dear Terry:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the recently approved homeland security legislation, and reports of the new Total Information Awareness program administered by the Department of Defense.

The Total Information Awareness program, administered by the Pentagon as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is ostensibly designed to improve the government's ability to detect, classify and identify foreign terrorists. However, many have raised concerns about the methods this program may employ, such as the possibility that bank accounts, e-mails and other personal records of average citizens could be examined. Moreover, controversy has arisen from the choice of John Poindexter to head this program. Poindexter, a Reagan Administration official, was convicted of lying to Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal. I share many of these concerns, and hope and expect that the Pentagon and President Bush will give the American people a more thorough explanation of the Total Information Awareness program. It is imperative that in our efforts to improve our homeland defenses we remember that our aim is not just to save lives, but to save a way of life.

As you probably know, on November 19 the Senate, in a 90-9 vote, overwhelmingly approved the creation of a Department of Homeland Security before adjourning for the year. I was proud to support this landmark legislation, despite my concerns with certain eleventh hour special interest provisions added by the House. You will be heartened to learn that the legislation does not provide funding for the Total Information Awareness program. I certainly believe that future Congresses must scrupulously monitor the implementation of this program.

Again, thank you for contacting me. It was good to hear from you.

Most respectfully,

Max Cleland
United States Senator