Friday, February 10, 2012

New Path For A New House?

November 8, 2006

A story in today's Technology Daily P.M. edition examines what the new Democrat-led House could mean for the civil liberties crowd, specifically with regard to the National Security Agency's electronic wiretapping program. Several experts weighed in but a few thoughts did not make the cut due to space constraints.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told me the most obvious change will be the use of oversight by Congress, which "has been frozen in amber for years." On Wednesday morning, "you could already hear the hum of paper shredding and cleaning of hard drives throughout Washington," he said.

Serious questions about how the 110th Congress will handle ethics worry the legal scholar. Will members be banned from accepting travel and vacations? Will they be barred from legislating in areas where they have financial interests? Will there be a rule against the hiring of spouses and children by lobbyists? Only the future will tell, he said.

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Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.


Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.


Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.