Patriot Act Passes House

The House voted 251-174 to approve a House-Senate compromise that would modify the Patriot Act and make permanent most of the 16 expiring provisions. A group of Senators is squaring off to filibuster and now a group of Republican and Democratic senators is lobbying for more time to add additional safeguards on the law. 

While Republicans are pushing to get the bill opponents of the bill say the original Patriot Act was rushed into law, and Congress should take more time now to make sure that the rights of innocent Americans are safeguarded before making 14 of the 16 expiring provisions permanent (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051214/ap_on_go_co/patriot_act)  This compromise does not do enough to protect Americans privacy rights especially concerning their medical, gun and library records.

Also of concern the Electronic Privacy Information Center released a series of documents obtained under ther Freedom of Information Act that show FBI agents had expressed "frustration" with the internal Justice Department oversight process for conducting surreptitious monitoring under Sec. 215 of the Patriot Act. One of the sections that will be continued if the new compromise Patriot Act Passes

The documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request suggest that the FBI had decided to "bypass" the Justice Department's Office of Intelligence Policy and Review when pursing Sec. 215 surveillance. Electronic Privacy Information Center Director Marc Rotenberg said Congress should not renew the law until the FBI complies with the remainder of the FOIA request. (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-5994126.html)

Please Call your senator!  use the   ACLU page  if you need help finding you senator, but call now!