Sen. Specter Threatens to Block NSA Funds

Sen. Specter Threatens to Block NSA Funds: "27 April, 2006


By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter said Thursday he is considering legislation to cut off funding for the Bush administration‘s secret domestic wiretapping program until he gets satisfactory answers about it from the White House.

Specter said he had informed President Bush about his intention and that he has attracted several potential co-sponsors. He said he‘s become increasingly frustrated in trying to elicit information about the program from senior White House officials at several public hearings.

'It is true that we have no assurance that the president would follow any statute that we enact,' Specter said. He said he‘s considering adding an amendment to stop funding of the program to an Iraq war-hurricane relief bill being debated by the Senate this week and next."