Mr. Rankin. Now, there is some language in H.R. 4158, I understand, which deals with the permanent organization of the Government that you are objecting to; is that right?
Mr. Rowley. Yes; that has to do with the codification, wherein it states that the Attorney General will appoint—I think, in substance—officials for the protection of the President of the United States. And this is a feature in the codification of the law we object to, because the Secretary of the Treasury authorizes and directs the protection of the President.
Representative Ford. Is that a bill, Mr. Rankin, that is before the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Judiciary Committee?
Mr. Rowley. They are preparing it, and they asked for our opinions. It must be now. This is a month or so ago, Mr. Ford.
Mr. Rankin. I think I can give the Commission the exact language. It is chapter 33 of the House rule that I have just described, and it is under section 534, and the words are: "The Attorney General may appoint officials"—and then in quotes below that, in (2) "to protect the person of the President" and—and then it deals with other matters.
Now, will you tell why you have an objection to that? Just briefly summarize it.
Mr. Rowley. Because of the long history of Presidential protection we have been directed—it has been under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department, authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury. But this would confuse and be a conflict in jurisdiction. Conflicts would naturally arise in the future as to who had jurisdiction.
If anything happened like Dallas, we would get into an Alphonse and Gaston pantomine.
Mr. Rankin. You would get into a jurisdictional dispute?
Mr. Rowley. That is right.