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05/03/94 Digital Telephony / Clipper House hearings



		Voters Telecomm Watch (VTW)
		 Legislative Action Alert
	        [email protected]


5/3/94 House Clipper/Digital Telephony hearings being held

	HERE'S WHERE TO CALL TO VOICE YOUR OPINION
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On May 3rd there will be hearings on Digital Telephony.  This is the
bill proposed by the FBI which would mandate wiretapping equipment
be built into all communications devices.  The FBI has done little
to assure the public that the scheme will not be:
	-prone to abuse because of a lack of safeguards, and
	-secure from malicious eavesdroppers

And yet, without this proof, they are asking us to allow them to pass
a law which would mandate building these wiretaps into every piece
of communication equipment.  Our privacy is too precious to be
entrusted to bureaucrats who don't feel the need to answer to us.

The House Science, Space, and Technology subcommittee on Technology,
Environment, and Aviation will hold a hearing to address both
the Clipper and Digital Telephony issues.  

If you see your representative below in the list, call them and
tell them you oppose the Clipper chip and Digital Telephony as
being a danger to your privacy. 

If you don't know who your representative is, or if you don't see
them on the list, call in your comments to the House subcommittee
at:
	(202) 225-8115 (voice)
	(202) 225-7815 (fax)

[If you live in any of the states below, please try to call your
Representative.  Otherwise, the number above will be fine.]

	House Science, Space, & Technology subcommittee on
		Technology, Environment, and Aviation
        	   (Rep. Tim Valentine, Chairman)

   Dist ST Name, Address, and Party       Phone            Fax
   ==== == ========================       ==============   ==============
      2 NC Valentine, Tim (D)             1-202-225-4531   1-202-225-1539
             2229 RHOB
      4 KS Glickman, Daniel (D)           1-202-225-6216   na
             2371 RHOB
     12 TX Geren, Peter (D)               1-202-225-5071   1-202-225-2786
             1730 LHOB
      3 IN Roemer, Timothy (D)            1-202-225-3915   1-202-225-6798
             415 Cannon
      2 NH Swett, Richard N. (D)          1-202-225-5206   na
             230 Cannon
      8 NJ Klein, Herbert C. (D)          1-202-225-5751   na
             1728 LHOB
     15 PA McHale, Paul (D)               1-202-225-6411   1-202-225-5320
             511 Cannon
     36 CA Harman, Jane (D)               1-202-225-8220   na
             325 Cannon
     10 GA Johnson, Don (D)               1-202-225-4101   1-202-226-1466
             226 Cannon
      1 AZ Coppersmith, Sam* (D)          1-202-225-2635   1-202-225-2607
             1607 LHOB
     14 CA Eshoo, Anna G. (D)             1-202-225-8104   na
             1505 LHOB
      4 WA Inslee, Jay (D)                1-202-225-5816   1-202-226-1137
             1431 LHOB
     30 TX Johnson, Eddie Bernice (D)     1-202-225-8885   na
             1721 LHOB
      2 MN Minge, David (D)               1-202-225-2331   na
             1508 LHOB
      9 GA Deal, Nathan (D)               1-202-225-5211   1-202-225-8272
             1406 LHOB
     30 CA Becerra, Xavier (D)            1-202-225-6235   1-202-225-2202
             1710 LHOB
      9 NJ Torricelli, Robert (D)         1-202-224-5061   1-202-225-0843
             2159 RHOB
     15 FL Bacchus, James (D)             1-202-225-3671   1-202-225-9039
             432 Cannon
      5 MI Barcia, James A. (D)           1-202-225-8171   1-202-225-2168
             1717 LHOB
     40 CA Lewis, Jerry (R)               1-202-225-5861   1-202-225-6498
             2312 RHOB
      8 MD Morella, Constance (R)         1-202-225-5341   1-202-225-1389
             223 Cannon
     43 CA Calvert, Ken (R)               1-202-225-1986   na
             1523 LHOB
      7 MI Smith, Nick (R)                1-202-225-6276   na
             1708 LHOB
      6 MN Grams, Rod (R)                 1-202-225-2271   1-202-225-9802
             1713 LHOB
      4 GA Linder, John (R)               1-202-225-4272   na
             1605 LHOB
      3 MA Blute, Peter I. (R)            1-202-225-6101   1-202-225-2217
             1029 LHOB
      6 MD Bartlett, Roscoe G. (R)        1-202-225-2721   na
             312 Cannon
     45 CA Rohrabacher, Dana (R)          1-202-225-2415   1-202-225-7067
             1027 LHOB
     12 NJ Zimmer, Richard A. (R)         1-202-225-5801   1-202-225-9181
             228 Cannon
     10 OH Hoke, Martin R. (R)            1-202-225-5871   1-202-226-0994
             212 Cannon
     39 CA Royce, Ed (R)                  1-202-225-4111   na
             1404 LHOB


Faxes and phone calls tend to be brief chances at communication.
Here is a sample, concise one that may give you ideas for your own.


SAMPLE LETTER OR PHONE CALL
 
The Honorable Representative ____________
 
I understand you will be attending the hearings on the Clipper chip
and the FBI's Digital Telephony bill.

I wanted to express my concern about the use of the Clipper chip
in personal communications.  The Clipper chip would mandate a 
privacy standard that is prone to significant abuse.  

Unlike most recent work in cryptography, the academic work surrounding 
the chip has been kept from the public, developed in secret.

Decent cryptography exists today to protect my communications.
The Clipper chip threatens my ability to use that technology.

The Digital Telephony bill would mandate wiretaps be built into
almost all communications equipment.  Furthermore, it would arrange
for "call setup" information (about who I call, and for how long) to
be sent to the FBI over their networks.

The potential for abuse of such a tool is great, while the ability
to have it abused is even greater.  Please oppose the Digital
Telephony bill, as it does little to protect citizens from abuse
of this technology once in the hands of computer intruders and
corrupt law enforcement officials.

Please oppose the Clipper chip and the Digital Telephony bill,

Sincerely,
 
       __________________
 
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[email protected].  We are in no way affiliated with Panix Public Access.