An Aug. 1 report by the Senate Judiciary Committee articulates the need for new legislation to limit the state secrets privilege. The report documents that the current administration has asserted the privilege "more frequently and broadly than before" and that reforms, such as the State Secrets Protection Act (S. 2533), are necessary to restore the proper balance between the right to an open and accountable government and the protection of legitimate state secrets. The report's dissenters — nearly all the Republicans on the committee — disagree with the report, arguing that existing procedures are sufficient.

Now back from the July 4 recess, the Senate is expected to quickly take up the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) compromise passed by the House in June, with a vote as early as July 9. Despite opposition to the compromise legislation, particularly from civil libertarians, and a recent court ruling that cast doubt on the main arguments for granting immunity to telecommunications companies, the legislation is considered likely to pass.

On June 12, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on the current status of the chemical security program at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and considered two bills to amend the program.

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released a report that investigated the case of a Canadian citizen, Maher Arar, who was taken into U.S. custody in 2002 and removed to Syria, where he was held by authorities for fourteen months. Two House committees held a hearing June 5 on allegations of torture that Arar says occurred during his imprisonment.