Join Us in DC to Stop the PATRIOT Act

Since 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act has enabled the US government to intrude on Americans’ privacy and violate our fundamental constitutional rights. And since then, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee has helped lead the struggle for transparency, accountability, and the restoration of civil liberties and the rule of law. That struggle continues in 2010, and we invite you to raise your voice in Washington.

With three provisions of the PATRIOT Act set to expire at the end of 2009, the House and Senate rejected a proposal, the JUSTICE Act, that would have added long overdue civil liberties protections to the many controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act. Other competing bills simply renewed the provisions without consideration for their significant toll on the rights and freedoms of law-abiding Americans.

Instead of passing any of these bills, Congress voted late last month to renew the expiring provisions for 60 days. Now, with calls emerging to demand even more power to monitor and spy on Americans of all walks of life, we must demand that Congress uphold our Constitution and protect our rights. As the Constitution once again finds itself with few allies in Washington, Congress is about to resuscitate a cornerstone of the domestic surveillance regime and shred what little remains of constitutional privacy.

That’s why we need you to join us in Washington, DC on February 3, 2010. Help us flood the halls of Congress and bring your concerns about domestic spying into your representative’s office.

The Bill of Rights Defense Committee, in collaboration with a broad coalition of allies, is organizing a grassroots lobby day in Washington to oppose the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. The lobby day will include a morning briefing with advice on how to talk to your members of Congress from issue experts, meetings with your congressional representatives, and an afternoon debrief over lunch. Come to Washington this February to show your members of Congress just how important it is to you, their constituents, that they stand up for your constitutional rights.

Are you ready to fight the PATRIOT Act in Washington? If so, sign up on our website and we'll be in touch shortly with further details and next steps.

Even if you can't make it to DC, you can still support our efforts with a contribution.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in the nation’s capital on February 3.

To redoubling our efforts in 2010,

Shahid Buttar
Executive Director