Congress must establish a new Church Committee to...

Congress must establish a new Church Committee to tackle questions about government surveillance, said 16 former staffers associated with the first Church Committee established in the 1970s and named for its chairman Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, signing a Monday letter (http://bit.ly/OpaFmz) directed at Congress. It should “create a Church Committee for the 21st Century -- a special investigatory committee to undertake a thorough, and public, examination of current intelligence community practices affecting the rights of Americans and to make specific recommendations for future oversight and reform,” the letter said. “Such a committee would work in good faith with the president, hold public and private hearings, and be empowered to obtain documents.” Surveillance now “dwarfs” that of the ‘70s, they said. Signatories included former chief counsel Frederick Schwarz. At the start of last month, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., introduced a resolution calling for such a select committee (http://bit.ly/1dh2gao).