Bill of Rights Defense Campaign

BILL OF RIGHTS Defense Committee - Working with communities to uphold the Bill of RightsWe the People
Working with communities to uphold the Bill of Rights
BORDC on Facebook  BORDC on MySpace  Add to Delicious  Recommend on Digg  Recommend on Reddit  Share on Furl    

May 13, 2008

FISA Deal-making in Congress. Head for your phone now!

A new Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) bill is being drafted behind closed doors. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has been negotiating with Senator Jay Rockefeller, and Rep. Hoyer has said he wants to reach a compromise before Congress leaves on May 22 for its Memorial Day recess.

A House compromise could weaken Fourth Amendment protections for all of us, while at the same time interfering with the lawsuits against the telecommunications companies that shared customer data with the government without warrants. Don't let that happen! Tell your representative:

  • Don't give in to the Bush administration's fear-mongering.
  • Vote against any compromise that allows basket or blanket warrants, which would permit surveillance of entire streams of communication, including those of many people who are not suspects. The Fourth Amendment requires warrants based on individual suspicion.
  • Vote against any compromise that makes the courts dismiss the cases against telecoms, effectively giving them retroactive immunity. Congress should not meddle in the lawsuits against the telecoms: It should let the courts help expose the truth about illegal domestic spying.

This administration has proven it needs more oversight from Congress and the courts, not less. Any deal on FISA that the White House will accept is not acceptable. Find your rep's Washington office number or call 1-202-224-3121 and ask the switchboard operator to connect you to your representative.

Thank you for all you do.

Bill of Rights Defense Committee
info@bordc.org
http://bordc.org

The People's Campaign for the Constitution is gaining momentum with local groups forming in 32 states nationwide. Pledge today, and join others in your community and around the country to restore constitutional rights, checks and balances, and the rule of law, which have been violated under the guise of a permanent "War on Terror." Warrantless surveillance is just one aspect of the attacks on our Constitution. We need to build a broad-based movement that connects all different groups concerned about the erosion of constitutional limits on government power.

Outraged? Share it in a video. Videotape yourself or your friends stating what you believe is the most outrageous abuse of civil liberties or human rights since 9/11. Deadline is May 27. We will use a selection of videos submitted to introduce BORDC's video promoting the People's Campaign for the Constitution. Details.