>       EFF WANTS YOU - TO CALL FOR SENATE HEARINGS ON CLIPPER!
>
>*** Distribute Widely ***
>
>Feb. 15, 1994
>
>Dear Friends on the Electronic Frontier,
>
>Thank you for your efforts in fighting the government's ill-considered
>Clipper proposal. We have already delivered over 2250 messages supporting
>H.R. 3627 to Rep. Cantwell, and your messages have continued to flood in.
>We'd now like to ask you to help us call for Congressional hearings on
>Clipper by writing to Senator Patrick Leahy c/o [l--a--y] at [eff.org.]
>
>As we have previously reported, the Clinton Administration has announced
>that it plans to proceed on every front to make the Clipper Chip
>encryption scheme a national standard and to discourage the development
>and sale of alternative powerful encryption technologies. If the
>government succeeds in this effort, the resulting blow to individual
>freedom and privacy could be immeasurable.
>
>So far, the government has resisted requests that it explain its policy.
>When the Presidential Decision Directive calling for Clipper deployment
>first appeared last spring, the Administration promised a report that
>re-evaluated cryptography and privacy policy in light of technological
>changes, the coming of the National Information Infrastructure, and the
>end of the Cold War. The Administration also made a commitment to
>meaningful public dialog before taking any major action on escrow
>deployment or new legislation.
>
>Yet in spite of the efforts of EFF, CPSR, ACLU, and other groups to
>provide extensive input to the Administration, the promised policy report
>never arrived, and the Administration has now said there will be no report
>after all. This failure of public accountability makes Congressional
>hearings an absolute necessity.
>
>There are individuals in Congress willing to look into the Clipper
>proposal and related policies--if they hear from you. Senator Patrick
>Leahy (D-Vermont), who chairs one of the key committees responsible for
>these issues, has asked for comments and concerns about the viability of
>the Clipper initiative.
>
>Here's where we need your help. *Please write Senator Leahy at
>
>        [l--a--y] at [eff.org]
>
>and ask that the Senate hold hearings about Clipper.* Senate hearings may
>be the only means of ensuring public feedback about Clipper, and, just as
>important, they may be the only means of forcing the Administration to
>explain its Clipper policy. Please express your concerns about the United
>States' Clipper policy and cryptographic policy in general. Your letters
>in support of hearings will be printed out and delivered to the senator.
>
>And if you haven't written Rep. Maria Cantwell to show your support for
>H.R. 3627, her bill to relax export restrictions on encryption technology,
>now's the time to do so. Just send e-mail to 
>
>        [c--tw--l] at [eff.org]
>
>and put "I support H.R. 3627" in your Subject header. Letters in support
>of the bill will be printed out and delivered to Rep. Cantwell.
>
>Our fight to keep national encryption policy out in the open--and to
>continue allowing individuals to use encryption to ensure their own
>privacy--has only just begun. In the coming weeks and months, we will be
>working to give you more ways to make your voice heard on these vital
>public issues.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Jerry Berman
>Executive Director
>Electronic Frontier Foundation
>
>
>
>
>See ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/EFF/Policy/Clipper/ for more information on the
>Clipper/Skipjack key escrow scheme.
>