Time to weigh in on the Patriot Act

This week, Congress will probabbly vote on bills to reauthorize the expiring parts of the Patriot Act with almost no significant changes and with amendments to make almost all of the provisions permanent. There are four different bills, and all fall far short of what is needed to bring the Patriot Act's far- reaching and intrusive powers back in line with the Constitution:

The worst is a bill passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee that would expand the Patriot Act to allow the FBI to write its own search orders that businesses would be compelled to comply with for literally "any tangible thing."

The FBI would not have to show any specific facts connecting the records sought --medical records, employment records, gun purchase records, tax records, credit reports, insurance records, bank statements, and records from car dealerships, etc. --to an agent of a foreign power or foreign terrorist. They would not even have to get court approval to issue one of these subpoenas. And the recipient of one of these subpoenas is gagged forever from telling anyone about it.

That bill would also allow the FBI to order the postal service to allow law enforcement to track people's mail. This bill is currently awaiting action on the Senate floor. The Republicans don't really expect it to pass. It is designed to make the others look better in comparison.

But the other pending bills aren't really that much better. One is in the Senate Judicary Committee, and two others have cleared House committees -- Judiciary and Intelligence -- and are awaiting House action. They make almost no changes in the law, and make the law permanent, eliminating the sunset provision that requires review and re-authorization.

If these pass, living with these restrictions on our freedom will become a permanent way of life.

Now is the time to contact your representatives in Congress. The message:

SLOW DOWN!!!

* This is a critical moment in the effort to repair the Patriot Act to make sure that its powerful federal power and our limited anti- terrorism resources are focused on foreign terrorists and not ordinary Americans.

* There is no need to rush-- the sunsets do not expire until December.

* Members of Congress haven't had enough time to fully discuss or review these bills.

Most members of the Wisconsin delegation are quite predictable and already know how they will vote.

We are told that Rep. Tom Petri, the most reasonable Republican in the Wisconsin delegation, may be willing to listen.

DC telephone: 202/225-2476
Oshkosh telephone: 920/231-6333
Fond du Lac telephone: 920/922-1180
Toll-free in Wisconsin: 800/242-4883

For contact info on other Wisconsin members, go to Congress.org

IF YOU THINK THE FBI WON'T USE THOSE POWERS ... read today's NY Times story on the files they've already amassed on activist groups.