Urge Your Senator to Oppose Bills Expanding Domestic Snooping and Giving Immunity to Telecom Companies
The "lame duck" 109th Congress returned to Washington November 13 to take care of unfinished business before it finally ends. Among the bills President Bush has said he'd like to see passed is the NSA Domestic Spying bill. In addition, there is an effort afoot to slip into some other bill (probably a spending bill) a provision that would give the telecom companies immunity from liability for any unlawful assistance they have given to the government since 9/11.
The best opportunity to stop these provisions from passing is in the Senate.
The NSA Domestic Spying bills are also known as the Frist-Specter bill and the Wilson bill. These partisan bills would legalize and expand the President's program to tap the telephone and Internet communications of American citizens without a court order.
Use the box at the right to get the telephone numbers of your Senators. Call them today. Urge them to oppose the Frist-Specter bill and the Wilson bill, and urge them to object to any attempt to pass either of these bills or a provision immunizing the telecom companies.
Background
Although the elections dramatically altered the composition of the House and the Senate, the new Congress does not convene until next January. The current members of Congress returned to Washington on November 13 for what is called a "lame duck" session to take care of some unfinished business. President Bush said he wants the lame duck Congress to pass the NSA Domestic Spying bill, which would radically expand the President's authority to conduct warrantless surveillance against US citizens inside the United States.
This dangerous bill (S. 3931) was drafted by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and introduced by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The equally dangerous House bill, H.R. 5825, is sponsored by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM).
Proponents and some press reports have mischaracterized these bills as providing judicial review. In fact, these bills would prevent meaningful judicial review of domestic surveillance. Proponents also say the bills would "modernize" the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In fact, they would dramatically expand President Bush's program of wiretapping the communications of American citizens without judicial approval.
Don't let these ill-considered bills or the immunity provision slip through. Congress should wait until next year to take up this very important issue with the newly elected members, and it should not provide the telecom companies with a last-minute giveaway by slipping an immunity provision into a bill this year.
Make your voice heard.
Call your Senators and urge them to BLOCK any attempt to bring up the Frist-Specter bill (S. 3931) or the equally objectionable Wilson bill (H.R. 5825) for a vote. Urge them to OPPOSE any attempt to slip a telecom immunity provision into another bill in these last few weeks of the lame duck session.
A few brave Senators could stop this effort to steamroll the Constitution. Congress returned November 13, and things could move swiftly, so call right away.
More Information
For more information on the NSA warrantless wiretapping program, go to: http://www.cdt.org/publications/policyposts/2006/17/, http://www.cdt.org/security/nsa/ and http://www.cdt.org/security/nsa/briefingbook.php
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