Julian Bond: “This carrier liability provision is an essential part of this bill. If we permit lawsuits to go ahead against carriers…”

“This carrier liability provision is an essential part of this bill. If we permit lawsuits to go ahead against carriers alleged to have participated in the program, there will be more disclosures in discoveries and pleadings of the means of collecting information, disclosing our most vital methods of collecting information. Secondly, if we permit the carriers that may or may not have participated to be sued in court, then the most important partners the Government has--the private sector--will be discouraged from assisting us in the future. The Intelligence Committee--the one committee that has looked at this--reviewed it and said these companies acted in good faith and, therefore, we should give them retroactive immunity.”