Other Action Requests and Alerts

Posted 7/22/2003

House to Vote on PATRIOT Act Amendment - Action Needed Today

Dear Activist,

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider an amendment limiting one of the more outrageous provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, the major surveillance law that passed in the heat of passion after 9/11.

A bipartisan group of Members will be offering an amendment to an FBI spending bill to prohibit any funds in the bill from being used to search a library or bookstore under section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. This amendment would restore and protect the privacy and First Amendment rights of library and bookstore patrons that were in place before the PATRIOT Act. Passage of this amendment would still allow the FBI to use all other legal authorities at their disposal, including search warrants and criminal subpoenas, to get library and bookstore records.

The amendment will be offered by an Independent, Rep. Bernie Sanders (VT), a Republican, Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter (ID) and a Democrat, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (MI). The amendment will be offered to the Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary Appropriations bill for FY 2004.

This is the first and maybe only vote that the Freedom to Read Protection Act may get in the House this year.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Call Rep. Jackson's DC office at (202)225-0773.

Ask for the staffer who handles appropriations issues.

Staffer: Hello, Rep. Jackson's office.

You: Hi, I'm a constituent and I am calling to urge my Representative to support the Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment to the CJS Appropriations bill. The PATRIOT Act gave the FBI the power to search library and bookstore records without meaningful limits. The Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment will restore privacy protections for library and bookstore records. The Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment will not hamper anti-terrorism efforts. It will protect the freedom to read. Please urge my Representative to support the Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment to the CJS appropriations bill.

Staffer: Thanks, bye!

For more background, click here.

For articles on the Freedom to Read Protection Act, click here. 

2. VERY IMPORTANT!! LET US KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. This allows us to coordinate our efforts back here in DC. Please fill out the feedback form. 

3. Tell Others to Participate!

Forward this ALERT to your friends and colleagues. Only forward the alert until Friday, July 25, 2003.

Refer people to Digital Democracy's Freedom to Read web page.  Your friends can also look up their Representative's contact information on the CDT web site.

Thanks for helping to make America safe and free!

--

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