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Statement of Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton on U.S. Court of Appeals Issuance of Emergency Stay of Internet Disconnection Order |
| For Immediate Release: March 24, 2004 |
| CONTACT: Dan DuBray (DOI): 202-208-6416 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C., (WASHINGTON) - Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton issued the following statement this evening in response to today's order by the U.S. Court of Appeals-D.C. Circuit granting an emergency administrative stay of the U.S. District Court injunction which has disconnected most of the Department of the Interior's computer systems from the Internet since March 15th:
"I am pleased that the U.S. Court of Appeals has granted this emergency administrative stay. The Department anticipates the opportunity to present our case to permanently reverse the March 15th injunction before the Appellate Court.
"The Department will continue to work aggressively with the U.S. Department of Justice in our appeal of the March 15th ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, tonight, we have begun to restore our Internet connections across all impacted agencies of the Department and will work quickly to restore them to pre-March 15th levels."
The U.S. Department of Justice filed the motion requesting action from the Court of Appeals earlier today.
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[Editors Note: For more information relating to the Interior Department's pleadings to the U.S. Court of Appeals visit http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/appellate.htm ]