Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Please, have a seat. At the dawn of our public, a small secret Surveillance Committee born out of the sons of liberty was established in boston. The groups members included paul revere. They would patrol the streets at night, reporting any signs that the british were preparing raids against americas early patriots. In the civil war, union balloons reconnaissance tracked the size of confederate armies by tracking the number of campfires. In world war ii, codebreakers gave us insight into the japanese war plans. They intercepted communications, help save the lives of the troops. After the war, the rise of the iron curtain and Nuclear Weapons only increased the need for sustained intelligence. In the early days of the cold war, president truman created the National Security agency, or nsa, to give us insight into the soviet block and provider leaders with information they needed to confront and avert catastrophe. We have benefited from bo
As we continue to take a look president s speech yesterday on surveillance reforms, were join at the desk by James Branford the author and leading expert on the National Security agency. Mr. Branford, as you look at the changes that the president announced yesterday, how drastic these and how much of these were more cosmetic reforms . Think they were more cosmetic than dramatic. Changes were pretty much required. There was really a need for him to take some action. So he did take some action, but wasnt very, you know, it lot of action in terms of the changes. And the problem was there was a of loopholes left in there, ambiguity, a of lot of things left to be decided by the director of national intelligence, the attorney general, by different boards. Opening. An what the details are going to thats whats important. These are sort of overall ideas were going to do a little bit and a little bit of that, but then im going to leave it to a committee or a finalto make the decisions. And it wa
Far enough in the role reforms that he announced. Did he go too far . What role would you like to see Congress Take up . Our phone lines are open. Independents can call 202628 0205. If youre outside United States, oh 184. Ber is 202628 a very good saturday morning to you. The president s speech touched on everything from phone records, emails and phone calls, National Security letters and five the courts. We will go over all of that on washington journal. We will have a washington reactions from members of congress. We want to hear your calls and your comments this morning. First, the headlines from that speech yesterday. Heres the front page of the Washington Post. Obama moves to rein in surveillance. Obama dialstribune, up nsa limits. This is the guardian out of u. S. Will no longer store failed phone data. The houston chronicle, restriction put on phone Data Collection. Page of the miami herald, obama reigns in the surveillance machinery. This is the New York Times, obama outlines c
The 20th amendment. You know, the date was a much different date in the original constitution. But to answer your question, it is usually the case that a recess is going to be longer than three days. If the sent finish all of this legislative business, for example in this year on december 30, then voted to a german, and and im again me onto the beginning of the second session of the congress on january 3, that will be in intrasession recess even though it would not be the one that would require consent of the house. But and that a usual case in which a recess is taken, it will be the type of break that the framers contemplated would need the consent of the house. And the reason for that will be obvious. We have a system of a bicameral legislation. The houses too are supposed to Work Together to accomplish the business of the people. If the houses working on something and the senate was to go away or vice versa am a they need the consent of each other because they may need each other to
I think they do an outstanding job in very difficult circumstances. There are often cases that are just heart in terms of flows of funds consistent with our laws but have the effect of providing relief at the same time, not just in syria. It comes up in many troubling parts of the world. I am happy to look into the question of access and communication. We strive to a high level of clarity and communication. Sometimes the issues relate to specific matters that are not public matters. I would have to look at the specific matter. Good morning. My question is about the trade Promotion Authority in the headline yesterday in one of the papers about the pushback from democrats, we will need bipartisan approval for fasttrack and given the fact that we started the year with this new budget and deal in congress, which suggests that we will not be as toxic this year as the past, i am wondering what your plans are for whipping into place a bipartisan Authority Given the pushback from some of the d