Dear Friend:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Executive Order 13524 signed by President Barack Obama on December 16, 2009. I welcome your thoughts and comments.Executive Order 13524 amends President Ronald Reagan’s Executive Order 12425 by giving the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) certain privileges and immunities that President Reagan specifically withheld. I side with President Reagan on this matter. INTERPOL is a law-enforcement agency, and without being constrained by our laws, the liberty of Americans is compromised.President Obama’s Executive Order applies all of the provisions of the International Organizations Immunities Act to INTERPOL, immunities generally reserved for diplomats, not law-enforcement. This means INTERPOL is not subject to any real public scrutiny; they will not be subject to Freedom of Information Act provisions or restrained by the Fourth Amendment or any other federal law.On January 13, 2010, Representative Mike J. Rogers (R-MI) introduced H.R. 4453, the INTERPOL Immunities Oversight Act of 2010. The bill directs the President to revoke Executive Order 13524 and restores Executive Order 12425 that President Ronald Reagan signed in 1983. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Should this legislation or related legislation come before the Senate, please be assured that I will keep your views in mind.I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me on any issue that is important to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison United States Senator