Democrats question anti-terror proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Democrats asked the Justice Department Monday to explain reports that it plans to ask Congress to expand an anti-terrorism law to increase surveillance while restricting access to information and limiting judicial review.\nHouse Judiciary Democrats called on Attorney General John Ashcroft to explain the existence of a copy of draft legislation called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. The Center for Public Integrity, which posted the document online Friday, said it had obtained it from a government source.\nAttorney General John Ashcroft said Monday that the Justice Department is working to figure out "what we can do to be more successful" in the war on terrorism. \n"We're going to do that on a daily basis," Ashcroft said.\nThe new legislation, according to the alleged draft, would prohibit disclosure of information regarding people detained as terrorist suspects and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from distributing "worst-case scenario" information to the public about a nearby private company's use of chemicals.\nThe measure would create a DNA database of "suspected terrorists"; force suspects to prove why they should be released on bail, rather than have the prosecution prove why they should be held; and allow the deportation of U.S. citizens who become members of or help terrorist groups.\nAshcroft said no decisions have been made on a final proposal for an expansion of the USA Patriot Act. Officials were working with "a full range of ideas" while keeping one thing paramount: "The most important guideline is the Constitution of the United States," he said.\nSeveral Democrats called on Ashcroft to come to the Capitol and explain the department's thinking.\n"There have been no consultations with the committee on this bill," said Michigan Rep. John Conyers, senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Reps. Robert Scott, D-Va., and Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, in a letter to the Justice Department.\n"The department's handling of this matter has only lent credence to suggestions that this administration is intent on using the war on terrorism as a partisan political tool and the Justice Department is waiting to spring this bill on the Congress when the nation once again has endured a terrorist attack or is in the midst of war," the three Democrats wrote.\nThey asked the Justice Department to respond to their letter by Saturday.\n"We will review it as we do all congressional requests," said Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo.\nThe original law was passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. It gave the government broad new powers to use wiretaps, electronic and computer eavesdropping, searches and a wide range of other information-gathering techniques. It also broke down the traditional wall between FBI investigators and intelligence agents.\nDemocrats say they have asked Justice officials for months about what they wanted for a new anti-terror law.\n"If there is going to be a sequel to the USA Patriot Act, the process of writing it should be open and accountable," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It should not be shrouded in secrecy, steeped in unilateralism or tinged with partisanship.\n"The early signals from the administration about its intentions for this bill are ominous," Leahy said, "and I hope Justice Department officials will change the way they are handling this"