REVISED UPDATES FOR ABOLITIONISTS. PLEASE NOTE! FEINGOLD'S PATRIOT ACT LEADERSHIP NEEDS ABOLITIONIST HELP! "The conference report adds NEW OFFENSES SUBJECT TO THE DEATH PENALTY and a new provision that ENABLES THE SECRET SERVICE TO THROW PROTESTERS IN PRISON FOR 10 YEARS FOR DISRUPTING MAJOR EVENTS such as political conventions..." (SEE THE ALERT BELOW) Bill of Rights Defense Committee http://www.bordc.org Also watch and read archives: http://www.feingold.senate.gov Call your senators between now and February 28 (more than once if you can!) (if you write letters, make it real soon!) Urge senators to vote against cloture on the PATRIOT Act reauthorization (cloture vote scheduled February 28 at 2:30 p.m. EST) unless changes are made to protect civil liberties. Remind them that nearly 400 communities and eight states, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA with a combined population of nearly 85 million people (one in three U.S. residents!) have passed resolutions calling on Congress to change the PATRIOT Act to protect our civil liberties. Urge them to support votes in favor of amendments proposed by Senators Feingold and Senator Leahy that would address some of your concerns. Visit: http://www.bordc.org/threats/legislation/3199reauth.php for talking points and phone numbers, AND/OR: Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 (24 hours), and ask the operator to connect you to the particular Senator you are trying to call. Thank you for all you do! Bill of Rights Defense Committee *************** Dear Friends, NEITHER the PATRIOT Act reauthorization compromise bill known as the conference report to accompany H.R. 3199: (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=hr333&dbname=109&;) NOR proposed revisions unveiled February 9 by Senators John Sununu (R-NH) and Larry Craig (R-ID) go far enough to protect our civil liberties. (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN02271:@@@L&summ2=m) In fact, the conference report actually makes the FBI's national security letter authority to seize our personal records more invasive by adding penalties for third-parties that don't comply. In addition, the conference report adds NEW OFFENSES SUBJECT TO THE DEATH PENALTY and a new provision that ENABLES THE SECRET SERVICE TO THROW PROTESTERS IN PRISON FOR 10 YEARS FOR DISRUPTING MAJOR EVENTS such as political conventions. Update on Status. There is still time to call your senators. They have not yet voted on either the conference report or the Sununu amendment. (The 96-3 vote you may have heard about was for cloture, to allow the Sununu amendment (S. 2271) to come to a vote, which may happen on March 1.) Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) have offered amendments http://bordc.org/threats/legislation/amend-s2271.php that would substantively improve the PATRIOT Act, but ONLY IF they are allowed to come to a vote. Call your senators between now and February 28 (more than once if you can!) and urge them to vote against cloture on the PATRIOT Act reauthorization (cloture vote scheduled February 28 at 2:30 p.m. EST) unless changes are made to protect civil liberties. Remind them that nearly 400 communities and eight states, including California, with a combined population of nearly 85 million people (one in three U.S. residents!) have passed resolutions calling on Congress to change the PATRIOT Act to protect our civil liberties. Urge them to support votes in favor of amendments proposed by Senators Feingold and Senator Leahy that would address some of your concerns. For more talking points, go to http:www.bordc.org also: http://www.bordc.org/involved/actionsuggestions.php Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 (24 hours). (Ask the operator to connect you to a Senator. Keep track of the number for further work.) Thank you for all you do! Bill of Rights Defense Committee http://www.feingold.senate.gov http://www.bordc.org
