One Million Terrorists and Counting?

Dear Representative and Senators:

I am dismayed to learn that our terrorist watch list is estimated to now contain one million names.

According to the Terrorist Screening Center's online FAQ, "Per HSPD-6, only individuals who are known or appropriately suspected to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism are included in the TSDB."

I have a hard time believing that all of the names on this list meet this criteria, especially since people such as Nelson Mandela, Senator Ted Kennedy and Representative John Lewis have all been caught up in this dragnet. Who knows how many other innocent American citizens are being watched?

Congress must implement controls over this program to protect American citizens from being unlawfully watched under this program. If our government is going to maintain such a database, we need to have protections and accountability to ensure that innocent people caught on this list have the right to due process of law; can find out if they are on the list; and can see and challenge the data used to put them on the list.

Please work with your colleagues in Congress to address the critical need for oversight of this terrorist watchlist immediately.