‘John Doe’ Amendment: Still Not Dead
Charles Johnson
Tue Jul 24, 2007 at 9:07 pm PDT • Views: 283
The New York Sun reports that the “John Doe” amendment is back on the table tonight: Terror Whistleblower Aid Advances on Capitol Hill.
WASHINGTON — A provision aimed at providing whistleblower protection to Americans who report suspicious activity has advanced on Capitol Hill despite opposition from some Democrats, as top Republicans announced an agreement last night.
The House Republican leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, and Rep. Peter King, a Republican of Long Island, said last night that they had reached agreement to include what has become known as the “John Doe” amendment in the final version of a major homeland security bill to implement the recommendations of the commission established to investigate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The bill is currently in a House-Senate conference committee, and a deal will be announced today. The homeland security legislation mandates tighter inspections on cargo coming into America on passenger planes and ships, and it could help direct more anti-terror funds to New York by adjusting the funding formulas in favor of high-risk areas.
Disagreement over the “John Doe” amendment had been the last sticking point of the broader legislation, which the Democrats had pegged as one of their top priorities in taking control of Congress this year.
Mr. King first introduced the amendment earlier this year after the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit on behalf of six imams who were removed from a US Airways flight in November over allegations of suspicious activity.
Frank says: