Back Doors

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

Last week The New York Times and The Guardian reported that the National Security Agency has weakened or broken the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of Americans to protect their private data.

Congressman Rush Holt

According to these reports, the NSA has covertly weakened the computer security protocols that American citizens and businesses rely on. The NSA has surreptitiously obtained the encryption keys used by major corporations to protect online data. And the NSA has demanded that manufacturers insert “back doors” into computer systems to enable secret government eavesdropping.

It’s as though the NSA had secretly copied the keys to your home. Worse, it’s as though the NSA had prohibited manufacturers from even making secure locks – all while assuring the public that of course their belongings were safe.

Although the NSA’s goal may have been to allow the U.S. government to spy on communications, by introducing vulnerabilities into widely used computer hardware and software, the NSA would be rendering all communications vulnerable to criminals and foreign intelligence agencies. Anyone can walk through an open door if they can find it.

Earlier this year I introduced legislation, the Surveillance State Repeal Act, that would make it illegal for the NSA to coerce developers to include “back doors” in computer hardware or entry points in software. These revelations give that proposal new urgency.

Next Steps Forward in Syria

President Obama’s speech to the nation this week about the situation in Syria was both timely and necessary. I welcome his call for a delay in Congressional consideration of an authorization for the use of military force.

I am pleased that the President has dispatched Secretary of State Kerry to meet with his Russian counterpart in Europe to explore whether the proposal to verifiably disarm Syria of its chemical weapons can be successfully implemented. As we learned after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the best way to ensure a rogue nation is reliably disarmed of its weapons of mass destruction is through intrusive, internationally supervised on-site inspections.

If the proposal works, it would be the best way to eliminate safely Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal without risking either American or Syrian lives in a military campaign.

Deadline to Register for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

It has been twelve years since that terrible day when nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens perished in an unprovoked series of attacks on our nation. And while the key perpetrators of that horror are now themselves either dead or in our custody, the pain and the heroism of Americans on that day is something we must never forget.

In 2009, I helped pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act establishing a fund to to compensate for physical harm or death caused by the attacks of September 11, 2001. Potential claimants include first responders; cleanup workers; construction and sanitation personnel; and individuals who lived, worked, or volunteered in the areas of the crashes at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon site, and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania site.

If you believe you may be eligible for compensation, it is important to register by the October 3, 2013 deadline. Registration is very easy and requires answering only a few questions. The website VCF.gov includes detailed information on the registration deadline and a link to register online, or you can call toll-free 1-855-885-1555.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

President Obama's Weekly Address 9/14/13: Pursuing a Diplomatic Solution in Syria

WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address, President Obama followed up on his speech to the nation on Tuesday and said there is the possibility for a diplomatic solution in Syria, partially because of the credible threat of U.S. military force. Russia has joined the international community in pushing Syria to give up its chemical weapons—which were used to kill more than 1,000 people on August 21 —and the U.S. will take steps to ensure this is not a stalling tactic. We will also maintain our military posture in the region and remain prepared to act if diplomacy fails. This allows us to achieve our goal of deterring the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons, degrade their ability to use them, and make it clear to the world that we won’t tolerate their use, in order to preserve a world free from the fear of chemical weapons for our children.

President Obama's Weekly Address 9/7/13: Calling for Limited Military Action in Syria

WASHINGTON, DC — In his weekly address, President Obama makes the case for limited and targeted military action to hold the Assad regime accountable for its violation of international norms prohibiting the use of chemical weapons. The President realizes the American people are weary after a decade of war, which is why U.S. action would not include U.S. boots on the ground. Instead, the President has put forward a proposed authorization that is focused on his clearly stated objectives – preventing and deterring the use and proliferation of chemical weapons (CW) within, to, or from Syria, degrading the Assad regime’s capacity to carry out future CW attacks, and deterring this behavior in others who would otherwise feel emboldened to use such weapons. The President acknowledged it is not a decision he made lightly, but failing to respond to such actions poses a serious threat to our national security.