There has never been a more urgent need to preserve fundamental privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than the need we face today, as illegal government spying, provisions of the Patriot Act and government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security.
ACLU Letter to the Senate Strongly Opposing S. 3931, the "Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006" (09/28/2006) The Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006 combines the worst parts of S.2453 -- the warrentaless wiretapping bill that Senator Specter negotiated with Vice President Cheney -- with its House counterpart, H.R.5825, proposed by Congressman Wilson. It would ratify the president's claimed authority to sweep up Americans' communications without proof to any court that the Americans surveilled are ainding al Qaeda.
