FISA Bill Vote May Happen Tomorrow! Call Congress!

Here's a letter I got from Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU's Washington, D.C. Legislative Office today. It is urgent. Please read this and call your Congressperson now, then Steny Hoyer's office and Nancy Pelosi's office. 202-224-3121. Please call now!

Dear ACLU Supporter,

Despite the outrage coming from a broad coalition of concerned citizens, by tomorrow night the House of Representatives will vote on whether or not to gut the Constitution and give immunity to phone companies who broke the law and spied on Americans.

We have to act now. Even if you’ve emailed, called or visited your members of Congress about FISA, we need you to contact them again today.

Congress is moving so fast and so secretively that we only got a copy of this bill this morning. I can tell you it’s horrible. It contains vacuum cleaner style surveillance that sweeps up the phone calls and emails of Americans. And it’s blatantly unconstitutional.

The bottom line is that this is legislation that benefits a few of our country’s largest corporations while taking away basic rights from the rest of us. And it is unacceptable.

I’m going to spend the rest of the day on the phone calling Capitol Hill trying to stop this bill. I hope you will spend whatever time you can to make the voice of freedom heard in Congress -- make calls, ask your friends and family to call -- please do whatever you can.

Put Congress on notice that the American people don’t want a "compromise" that sells out our rights. Act now. We’re hearing the vote is tomorrow, so we could have less than 24 hours.

Believe me, no matter what happens, the ACLU will continue fighting this -- if necessary, in the courts.

Thank you for all you have done through this fight. Your dedication has truly inspired me and all of us at the ACLU. Now, let's hit the phones!

Thank you,
Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Dems in Congress Moving Now to Spy on Americans, Reward Telcoms

If you are as alarmed and angered by this as I am, call your congressperson, Steny Hoyer's office and Nancy Pelosi' office today and voice your displeasure. Congress' phone number is: 202-224-3121. I recommend everyone keep this number in their cell phones. I call Congress all the time to tell them what I think. I just called Tom Udall's office as well as Steny Hoyer's and Nancy Pelosi's. It is our right and responsibility to do so. THIS is one of those moments. Here's the article:

by ART LEVINE
The Huffington Post
Posted June 18, 2008 | 01:24 AM (EST)

The Democratic-led Congress, with the support of key House leaders, is moving quickly to expand unconstitutional spying authority on Americans and reward telecoms for breaking the law. As the ACLU's chief lobbyist, Caroline Fredrickson, points out in an email alert:

A sham spying "compromise" similar to the one we warned you about last week could be rammed through both the Senate and House this week. It's moving that fast.

Will you write today and let your elected officials know Americans want them to stand up for our privacy?

In a proposal that makes a mockery of the rule of law, telecom companies that broke the law by supplying mountains of personal information to the government without a warrant will be let off the hook.

Here's what Senators Feingold and Dodd had to say about Senator Bond's proposal, which is very similar to what we expect in the coming days:

"Under the Bond proposal, the result of the FISA Court's evaluation would be predetermined... the FISA court would be required to grant immunity."

Tell your members of Congress to reject a sham immunity "compromise."

There's a deeply disturbing premise behind this dangerous FISA legislation: The president simply had to claim his request was legal for immunity to be granted to telecom companies that illegally handed over personal information.

No matter how illegal, offensive or intrusive a company's invasion of your privacy has been, it won't make a difference, because if the president gave the company a note claiming their behavior was legal, they're completely off the hook.

Congress needs to reject this sham for what it is and insist on real accountability for telecommunications companies that broke the law.

Tell your members of Congress you demand accountability, not immunity!

Throughout the extended FISA debate, you and the ACLU have worked tirelessly to protect personal privacy and the rule of law. Together, we've given the Bush administration a run for their money, defeating a number of freedom-stealing proposals. Don't let Congress cave in now.

Thanks for all you do in defense of freedom.

Read the rest of this story in today's The Huffington Post.