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
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October 28, 2009

Last Chance to Change the PATRIOT Debate.  Call your representative today!

A few weeks ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected an opportunity to place crucial limits on the PATRIOT Act and other domestic spying authorities.  These limits, proposed in the JUSTICE Act developed by Senator Feingold (D-WI), would have protected the privacy of law-abiding Americans and their right to be free from government spying.

The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), still has a chance to protect Americans’ rights.  The House is our last chance to change the debate over PATRIOT Act reauthorizations.

On October 20, Conyers, joined by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Bobby Scott (D-VA), introduced two pieces of legislation to protect civil liberties: the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) and the FISA Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3846).  These bills include many of the changes the Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to adopt, and some go even further than Senator Feingold’s JUSTICE Act in protecting freedom and privacy.

The USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 provisions include:

  • Restoring the issuance of national security letters (NSLs) to the pre-PATRIOT Act standards.  Under the current standards, both use and abuse of NSLs have skyrocketed.
  • Subjecting to judicial review unconstitutional gag orders that routinely accompany NSLs.
  • Increased reporting requirements for use of NSLs and Section 215 business record requests.
  • Adding a 2013 sunset for NSLs and allowing roving wiretap powers to expire at the end of 2009.

The FISA Amendments Act of 2009 provisions include:

  • Rescinding the telecom immunity provision of last year’s FISA Amendments Act.
  • Preventing bulk collection of communications and reverse targeting of law-abiding Americans.

This bill is our best chance to shift the debate about the reauthorization of PATRIOT Act provisions set to expire at the end of this year.  Call your representative today and ask him or her to support H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009; and H.R. 3846, the FISA Amendments Act of 2009. 

Sincerely,

Shahid Buttar
Executive Director