---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 19:17:35 -0400 From: Jonah Seiger <jseiger@cdt.org> To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>, sameer <sameer@c2.net> Cc: fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu Subject: Re: CDT Policy Post 3.08 - Senate Committee Approves Key Crypto Bill At 3:17 PM -0700 6/19/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:

Yes, it would have been possible for any and all senators on the commerce committee to vote against *any and all* crypto bills that had key recovery provisions.

Um, ok. Can you explain your view? Poly Sci 101: McCain is the chairman of the committee, and as a result yields a lot of power over the agendas of all the committee members. When a member crosses the chairman, he or she takes a risk of not getting support for his or her priorities. If the chairman doesn't support your bill, it ain't gonna pass. Period. Chairman, on the other hand, don't like to loose. If they bring a bill to a vote, it's because they know they can win either by passing the bill or making a political statement. And the chairman holds all the cards in the deck. If a committee member disagrees with the chairman, and takes a risk by voting that way, he or she needs to have something to be *for*. Otherwise, he or she is just going to appear to be a big pain in the ass. It's very difficult in the real world to be *against* something but *for* nothing. Like it or not , and no matter how much we yell and scream about it, most members of Congress do not fully agree with your position and do not support complete and total de-control of encryption. While a lot of them support the SAFE approach (which I know you don't think goes far enough either) - neither the Commerce Committee members, or anyone else for that matter, are going to just stand up and say NO to their Chairman without having anything to be *for*. This process is raw and smelly, I know, but it's also called Democracy. I am curious to hear your view on this. But before we get all caught up in the old jihad between "the purists" and the "pragmatists", just think about this for a moment: If we are going to have a prayer of getting out of this Congress without getting stuck with manditory key recovery, we have to at least recognize where we fit in to the overall equation and how the system actually works. We can do a lot to impact the outcome of this issue -- but not if we are operating in a different area code from reality. Jonah * Value Your Privacy? The Government Doesn't. Say 'No' to Key Escrow! * Adopt Your Legislator - http://www.crypto.com/adopt -- Jonah Seiger, Communications Director (v) +1.202.637.9800 Center for Democracy and Technology pager: +1.202.859.2151 <jseiger@cdt.org> http://www.cdt.org PGP Key via finger http://www.cdt.org/homes/jseiger/