[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [UFPJ] Sign on Against Warrantless Wiretapping

Mon Jan 14 17:46:01 CST 2008

Shall AWARE be a signee?  Opinions?  --mkb

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "sue udry" <sue at unitedforpeace.org>
> Date: January 14, 2008 4:15:59 PM CST
> To: ufpj at lists.mayfirst.org
> Subject: [UFPJ] Sign on Against Warrantless Wiretapping
>
> Dear members,
> Will the Senate vote to allow the Bush Administration to continue  
> spying on us without a warrant?  Will they grant giant telecoms  
> immunity for breaking the law by facilitating illegal wiretaps?   
> The Senate will take up the issue when they return to DC on Jan.  
> 22, and Senator Reid looks ready to capitulate.
>
> UFPJ has signed on to a letter to Senator Reid written by the ACLU  
> (attached) and we encourage our member groups to take a look at the  
> letter and add your organizations name if you can. The deadline to  
> sign the letter is Wed. Jan. 16.  If you are interested in signing,  
> send your org.'s name to esierra at dcaclu.org [NOT to us at UFPJ!]
>
> Background:
>
> As soon as the Senate returns to DC on Jan. 22, they will take up  
> Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reform legislation.   
> Reid is in a bit of a panic because the current law sunsets on Feb.  
> 1.  The current law - the Protect American Act -  you probably  
> remember, passed Congress just before the summer recess and  
> legalizes domestic wiretapping without a warrant.  -- see how your  
> Senator voted here.  (The House Roll Call is  here).  This bill  
> should be allowed to sunset, and it will not be detrimental to  
> national security if it sunsets without a replacement.
>
> The big issue in the media has been Telecom Immunity -- whether  
> Congress should grant immunity to the companies who facilitated the  
> wiretapping.  But for the activist community, there are bigger  
> worries, including the ability of the Adminstration to listen in  
> without a warrant on conversations between people in the U.S. and  
> people outside the country when the target is really the person in  
> the U.S. Another issue is the bulk collection of communications  
> without a warrant.
>
> The House has already passed the Restore Act of 2007 (HR3773),  
> which addresses some (BUT NOT ALL) of the issues of concern to  
> activists and civil libertarians.
>
> In the Senate, both the Intelligence Committee (IC) and the  
> Judiciary Committee (JC) passed different version of the FISA  
> Amendments Act.  Reid clearly favors the IC version, which is  
> signifanctly worse than the JC version.  It grants immunity to the  
> Telecoms, allows bulk collection of communications, and allows  
> warrantless wiretapping of people in the U.S.
>
> In December, Reid brought the IC version to the floor for a vote,  
> prompting a filibuster by Sen. Dodd.  Reid is again saying he will  
> bring the IC version to the floor, which would be a disaster.  The  
> attached letter asks him to bring only the Judiciary Committee  
> version to the floor, and to work to pass amendments needed to  
> protect our rights.
>
> We are fighting for a bill that includes as many civil liberties  
> protections as possible -- while understanding that in the end, we  
> will likely have to oppose the final bill.
>
> Current signers to the letter are:
> American Civil Liberties Union
> American Humanist Association
> Asian American Justice Center
> Association of Research Libraries
> Bill of Rights Defense Committee
> BobBarr
> Center for Democracy & Technology
> Center for National Security Studies
> Council on American-Islamic Relations
> Democracy for America
> Electronic Frontier Foundation
> EQUAL JUSTICE SOCIETY
> Friends Committee on National Legislation
> Global Justice
> Global Rights
> Hate Free Zone
> Hip Hop Caucus
> Japanese American Citizens League
> Liberty Coalition
> Moveon.org
> Muslim Public Affairs Council
> National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
> No2Torture
> OMB Watch
> PEN American Center
> People for the American Way
> PrivacyActivism
> U.S. Bill of  Rights Foundation
> United for Peace and Justice
>
>
>
> -- 
> Sue Udry
> Legislative Action Coordinator
> United for Peace and Justice
> 301-565-4050 x315
> visit our website: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3116
> support our work: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=160
> join one of our Legislative listserves:
> either announcements only (2-3 emails/week): https:// 
> lists.mayfirst.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-leg-action
> or the discussion listserve:
> https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-legislative
>
> 1100 Wayne Ave. #1020
> Silver Spring, MD 20910
>
>
>
> -- 
> Sue Udry
> Legislative Action Coordinator
> United for Peace and Justice
> 301-565-4050 x315
> visit our website: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3116
> support our work: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=160
> join one of our Legislative listserves:
> either announcements only (2-3 emails/week): https:// 
> lists.mayfirst.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-leg-action
> or the discussion listserve:
> https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-legislative
>
> 1100 Wayne Ave. #1020
> Silver Spring, MD 20910 
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