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Call Congress about PATRIOT Act reauthorization |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 21 February 2006 |
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Senator Russ Feingold has gained Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's commitment to postpone a final vote on the House-Senate PATRIOT Act reauthorization "conference report" (to accompany H.R. 3199) until March 1.
Please continue to support Senator Feingold's courageous effort to pass stronger safeguards by urging your Senators to support Senator Feingold's four proposed amendments! Thus far Senator Frist has refused to consider votes on those amendments. Call both your Senators: Senator Lindsey Graham
Phone: 202-224-5972
Columbia Office: 803-933-0112
Senator James DeMint
Phone: 202-224-6121
Columbia Office: 803-771-6112
Summary of Senator Feingold's amendments:
- Guard against "fishing expeditions" by replacing amendment to section 215 business records orders in the conference report with the more meaningful relevance standard in Senate reauthorization bill S. 1389, which would require a connection between private records sought to a suspected foreign terrorist or spy rather than simply to an authorized intelligence investigation.
- Give third-party recipients of business records orders and National Security Letters a meaningful opportunity to challenge automatic, permanent gag orders.
- dd a four-year sunset on section 505, National Security Letters
- On section 213, "sneak and peek" searches, reduce initial notification deadline from 30 days to 7 days (retaining ability to go to court for extensions if needed).
Other suggested talking points about changes needed to the conference report:- Remove the new provision that expands the authority of the Secret Service and allows them to arrest demonstrators at any 'special event of national significance' if they believe there has been a breach of a security perimeter. Demonstrators can be charged with a felony, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. (This amendment was added to the conference report without any hearings or discussion.)
- Eliminate proposed new death penalties from the reauthorization.
Please don't forget to remind your senators of the resolutions passed in their state, and of the 403 resolutions passed nationwide! Look up your state's resolutions here: http://www.bordc.org/list.php?sortAlpha=1.
Find more talking points here: http://www.bordc.org/callin.php.
DON’T DELAY! Call your senators now, and urge your friends and contacts to join you.
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Post Office Box 7933