Washington, DC – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today released a statement following the announcement by President Bush of his nominees to serve on the newly created Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Senator Collins and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) co-authored the National Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that created the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to ensure privacy and civil liberties concerns are being protected as the President and executive agencies propose and implement policies related to efforts to protect the Nation against terrorism. Specifically, the board is required to provide advice and counsel to executive agencies and the President; review regulations, policies and procedures; and report to Congress regularly on its work.
The President today announced that he intends to nominate Carol Dinkins to be Chairman of the Board, Alan Charles Raul to be Vice Chairman, and Lanny Davis, Theodore Olson, and Francis Taylor to be members.
The following is Senator Collins’ statement:
“I am pleased that the Administration has demonstrated its commitment to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board through the nomination of what appears to be a well qualified, bipartisan slate of potential board members. The Board will play a critical role as we proceed with the implementation of intelligence reforms and the continuing work of homeland security, to ensure that in the quest to make our country safer against terrorism we also continue to protect the very liberties that we seek to preserve and which Americans cherish.”