Russ Feingold

Two months ago, Senators Leahy, Cardin, Franken, Kerry, and myself asked your respective Departments for recommendations on how to bring the United States back into compliance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Does this administration continue to believe this is genocide occurring under the Genocide Convention?

A constitutional line-item veto... would have an impact on the number and cost of earmarks as well as duplicative and nonessential programs.

I am deeply disappointed with the policies the Department adopted and, in particular, the refusal to adopt any sort of standard for searching U.S. citizens at the border.

This is unacceptable, and that is why I am planning to reintroduce the Travelers' Privacy Protection Act in the coming months.

Do you agree that there is a risk that sending more troops could just push militants over the border?

I would urge that the guidelines reflect that purpose, which is to get at the more serious offenses.

I guess my only point would be, not so much that we can get rid of every militant in Pakistan, but that they do move against all the different pockets that exist.

I think this is unacceptable, especially because most of the law enforcement communities that have signed on to these agreements do not have policies prohibiting racial profiling.

I do not doubt that at all, but I am looking for some appropriate trigger for this kind of search, which I think is serious business, and for consistency between the different agencies.

I question whether we're adequately resourcing some other critical places around the world that I've spent a fair amount of time studying.

I am disappointed that he's decided to escalate our military presence and did not give any goal or timeframe for when our massive military operations in Afghanistan will actually end.

I know you're aware of that, but we have to be so careful not to minimize the importance of that.

Several witnesses testified before this committee that the majority of people we're currently fighting in Afghanistan do not have an international terrorist agenda.

I've long been concerned about the lack of a meaningful standard governing the seizure of travelers' laptop computers by the Department of Homeland Security.

Would you commit to considering a policy whereby DHS must seek to obtain a warrant before it can hold the contents of a seized laptop for more than 24 hours?

The FBI's authority to collect, retain, and use information on Americans are subject to statute and the Attorney General's guidelines and oversight.

It is another for the U.S. government, with all its power and authority, to have the same information.

Instituting a system of indefinite determination without charge in the United States for terrorism suspects would threaten the constitutional protections ensconced in our justice system and is simply bad policy.

I want to commend you for your decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other 9/11 plotters in Federal court.

Will you commit to making public to the greatest degree possible the conclusions the executive branch reaches?

I hope the review will be expedited.

the only really effective way to address this challenge is for the region to address it together.

Thank you very much.

Well, obviously it's terribly important that we get this right.