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[EFF believes that this statement by the Attorney General finally gives the lie to the FBI's expressioned rationale for CALEA, that it was simply intended to preserve current wiretapping powers, for use in criminal investigations with proper search warrants. Reno's funding request includes monies for vastly expanded wiretapping activities, and mentions Dept. of Defense funding for similar "national security" activities far outside the scope of domestic law enforcement. The linking of CALEA to (and blurring of CALEA with) financial privacy invasion, DNA sample databasing, anti-encryption measures, and massive data mining is alarming.]

STATEMENT OF JANET RENO ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES

BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY AND RELATED AGENCIES

February 29, 2000

...

Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement (CALEA)

The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994, (P.L. 103-414) authorizes the Attorney General to reimburse telecommunications carriers for costs associated with modifying digital equipment installed before January 1, 1995, in order that court-authorized wiretaps may be performed.

The Department has recently submitted a fiscal year 2000 reprogramming proposing to use up to 100 million in Assets Forfeiture Super Surplus funds to continue reimbursing the telecommunications industry for certain costs associated with modifying their networks. We urge your support of this reprogramming. In addition, for FY 2001, we are seeking an increase of $105 million for the Department's CALEA activities, bringing total funding to $120 million. Recognizing the contribution of CALEA to national security, an additional $120 million for CALEA is also requested in the Department of Defense.

The budget request for the FBI in 2001 includes $2.1 million to test and verify the technical solutions proposed by manufacturers under CALEA.

...

Fighting Crime Through Technology

The increased sophistication in technology has made significant changes and improvements in the way we work and live. Just as society as a whole has become dependent on new technologies, so too has law enforcement. When I came to the Department in 1993, I found a crumbling technological infrastructure, and I have worked hard to improve the tools available to our agents and prosecutors. We have come a long way in the last 7 years, but there is still much to be done.

Our 2001 budget includes an additional $358 million for federal information resources management software and hardware, wiretapping systems, cryptology equipment, DNA collection efforts, on-going research and development projects and data driven crime control strategies.

...

Breaking the Cycle of Drugs

...

In addition to its drug prevention efforts, the Department is requesting a total of $1.73 billion for drug enforcement activities, including an increase of $3.1 million and 18 positions to support DEA's Special Operations Division (SOD) investigations along the Southwest Border and to establish a money laundering/financial investigative unit within SOD. SOD is a multi-agency program aimed at dismantling entire national and international trafficking organizations. It includes participation from the DEA, FBI, IRS, U.S. Customs Service and the Criminal Division in the Justice Department.

An increase of $389,000 and 5 positions is requested to enhance the Criminal Division's international drug money laundering and forfeiture activities and to support the increasing number of new wiretaps relating to narcotics enforcement arising from initiatives such as SOD.


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