(PEN/IFEX) – The following is an 11 July 2005 PEN American Center press release: Tomorrow, the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees will separately consider legislation that re-authorizes the expiring sections of the USA PATRIOT Act, including the one that concerns us most, Section 215 http://www.readerprivacy.org/info.jsp It is critical to contact members of both committees today. […]
(PEN/IFEX) – The following is an 11 July 2005 PEN American Center press release:
Tomorrow, the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees will separately consider legislation that re-authorizes the expiring sections of the USA PATRIOT Act, including the one that concerns us most, Section 215 http://www.readerprivacy.org/info.jsp
It is critical to contact members of both committees today. While we won an important battle last month when the House voted to block funds for bookstore and library searches under Section 215, we said at the time that the real fight would be over the re-authorization. The bill pending before the judiciary committee, H.R. 3199, extends all of the expiring PATRIOT Act sections and must pass before the end of the year. We have not seen the bill that will be reviewed by the intelligence committee. We’re not even certain to see it tomorrow. The meeting is being held in secret!
We are entering the final phase of a tough fight. President Bush has insisted on re-authorizing the PATRIOT Act without any changes, and his position has been strengthened in the aftermath of the terrible London bombings. It is important to tell Congress not to make the same mistake that it made following the September 11 attacks by compromising civil liberties without providing any real protection against terrorism. This may be our last chance to influence legislation in the House.
Click here http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/939 for Committee lists and contact information.
Please call or fax the Washington offices of the members of the House and Senate committees, particularly if your representative is one of them. Urge them to fight to restore the protections for reader privacy that were eliminated by the PATRIOT Act.
