Last year, the House began its revolt against the most controversial sections of the Patriot Act by voting for an amendment that would have stopped the government from enforcing its "sneak and peek" provisions. This was a tremendous victory for privacy and freedom from secret government searches. Unfortunately, the Congressional leadership killed the amendment before it became law.
This week, the House is expected to take yet another milestone vote against another controversial provision of the Patriot Act. Rep. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is preparing to offer an amendment to the annual appropriations bill for the Justice Department that would forbid the FBI from using the Patriot Act searching your library and book-buying records without probable cause of any crime or intent to commit a crime.
Take Action! Urge your Representatives to support the Sanders "Freedom to Read" amendment!
The amendment is part of the groundswell against the USA Patriot Act.
Resolutions against the Patriot Act have passed in more than 330 communities across the country. These communities cover millions of people who are concerned about the USA Patriot Act and its impacts on civil liberties. In response to one section of the Patriot Act alone, many librarians across the country have decided to put up signs warning patrons that the FBI may be snooping in their records. The Sanders amendment would restore constitutional protections.
The Fourth Amendment guarantees protections from unreasonable searches and seizures. The "Freedom to Read" amendment would help uphold the key principles of privacy and checks and balances against unlimited government power. When Congress voted for the Patriot Act, it insisted that some of the legislation's most controversial provisions were temporary and would come up for review. Now is the time for Congress to fulfill its initial promise and deliver a robust and full review of the Patriot Act and how the government is using its extraordinary law enforcement powers.
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