WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign on Tuesday said the New York Times should have revealed sources who leaked information about a secret government program to track terrorists.

The Nevadan and a group of other Republican senators echoed President Bush, who on Monday condemned the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal for disclosing a monitoring system which relies on a large international database that includes Americans' banking transactions.

"Not only do I believe that they should not have published this, but they should have worked in cooperation with those authorities in our government to make sure those who leaked were prosecuted," Ensign said at a news conference.

Intelligence officials should not leak classified information, and when they do, the media should not report it, Ensign said.

"Those in the intelligence community and those in the media right now are acting in irresponsible ways, which will cost American lives," said Ensign, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Ensign made his comments at a news conference, which included similar remarks from Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sens. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., and John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the secret program is another example of how the Republican Congress bows to the White House.

"I don't know how the New York Times got the information they got. But they got it, and I think it shows the total lack of oversight this Congress has had on the actions of this administration," Reid said.