From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 06:27:15 +0800
To: "Brock N. Meeks" <brock@well.com>
Subject: Re: How the FBI/NSA forces can further twist SAFE
In-Reply-To: <v03007801b05053415c14@[204.254.21.85]>
Message-ID: <v03007807b0508d3bfd76@[168.161.105.141]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 11:06 -0700 9/25/97, Brock N. Meeks wrote, quoting me:
>> Underlying all this is the threat of a presidential veto. What pro-crypto
>> legislation can survive it? That will give the FBI/NSA more leverage when
>> pushing for their kind of "compromise." Especially because of the slothful
>> speed of the Senate, the process will take close to a year, probably.
>
>Yeah, well, except that there isn't a year left for this Congress.  If it
>doesn't get done before the next recess (in which we don't see Congress
>again until it becomes teh 106th, next year) the slate is wiped clean and
>we start from ground zero.

That's not right. The 106th Congress doesn't begin until January //1999//,
after the elections. The slate is not wiped clean in 1998; we don't start
from ground zero. Bills will carry over to next year when Congress returns
in January for the second session of the 105th.

That's why it may take close to a year -- perhaps until next summer -- for
Congress to finish compromising away your rights to use whatever encryption
software you like.

-Declan


-------------------------
Declan McCullagh
Time Inc.
The Netly News Network
Washington Correspondent
http://netlynews.com/