"Over the past several days, a troubling expansion in the way technology is being used in the surveillance of ordinary Americans has come to light. In response, we are today joining together to call on all state and local governments to stop using these dangerous technologies now before privacy in America is so diminished that it becomes nothing more than a fond memory," the joint statement said.

Armey said he would ask the General Accounting Office to study the extent of federal government funding of surveillance cameras. In addition, he will ask the relevant House committees to hold hearings on law enforcement use of surveillance ...