ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 14, Number 114 
Date: November 17, 2005

In This Issue: Last Chance For Next 7 Years to Challenge PATRIOT Act!

Library Supporters-we need EVERYONE to call Congress to urge them to Oppose the PATRIOT Act conference report when Congress votes on it this week (a vote could occur as early as this Friday).  If Congress passes the PATRIOT Act revision, we will not be able to challenge it for the next 7 years!  In that time libraries will be vulnerable to the types of civil liberties intrusions that occurred in the Connecticut Library Connection Case. We need everyone to call TODAY to tell Congress that the revision lacks important civil liberties safeguards and is not acceptable. 

Your message: Your Message:  Vote "NO" on the Patriot Act conference report  
 
1. The revised bill sunsets at 7 years (The Senate bill sunset was 4 years and the House bill sunset was 10 years) --  A 4-year sunset will make it possible to correct an abuse of Section 215 at an earlier date. 

2. The revised bill requires that the FBI need only assert facts "relevant" to a general terrorist investigation to get an order from a secret FISA court for records.  This is a lower and less protective standard than the Senate version of the bill that required the FBI to demonstrate a connection between the records sought and a terrorist organization or a suspected terrorist.  
 
3. The revised bill does not provide a meaningful ability to challenge an NSL or order of the FISA court.  

4. The revised PATRIOT act does not provide meaningful safeguards for patron privacy.
 
5. Thank you for supporting the civil liberties of library patrons. 
 
6. Thank you for your support on this issue!


Thanks to all of you who have already contacted your Members and who continue to monitor developments. 

To view the contact information for Congress visit ALA's online Legislative Action Center located at: <http://capwiz.com/ala/home/>  

 

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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Don Essex, Joshua Farrelman, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.