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Fix the PATRIOT Act - Support the SAFE Act
The tragedy of the 9/11 attacks should not be used to strip away the fundamental rights guaranteed to us by our Constitution. Unfortunately, that’s just what happened with the hasty passage of the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001. It has become a rallying point for bipartisan concern about broad erosions of fundamental checks and balances against government abuse. Congress insisted that several of the most contentious sections of the PATRIOT Act expire on December 31, 2005 unless members vote to renew them. Right now our elected leaders are examining the PATRIOT Act’s fate. It is critical for you to Take Action now in support of the SAFE Act. The SAFE Act fixes flaws in the PATRIOT Act without weakening any of the new authority the law provides to fight terrorism. Take a moment to urge your elected representatives to support the SAFE Act.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I have learned that government agents can now use a special intelligence court to obtain many types of my personal records -- educational, medical, financial, sales, library, etc. -- even if they have no probable cause of a crime. In fact, the PATRIOT Act prohibits the holders of that information, such as librarians, from disclosing that these records were obtained. I have also read that the PATRIOT Act allows law enforcement agents to conduct secret "sneak and peek" searches of my home. Investigators can enter my home or office, take pictures and seize items without informing me that a warrant was issued for a very long time - if ever. It worries me that the PATRIOT Act and changes to government investigative guidelines permit a vast array of information on U.S. citizens to be collected and shared with the CIA (and other non-law enforcement officials) without proper judicial oversight or other safeguards. This law effectively puts the CIA back in the business of spying on Americans. I believe we should provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to fight terrorism, but the USA PATRIOT Act and related government actions also gave the government many new powers that go beyond the fight against terrorism. Some parts of the USA PATRIOT Act and other actions take away checks on law enforcement and threaten the very rights and freedoms that we are waging the war on terror to protect. Once again, I urge you to support corrections to the USA PATRIOT Act and other government actions. We need to ensure government powers adhere to the Bill of Rights. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
The slate of counter-terrorism laws that comprise the PATRIOT Act and related government actions are a sweeping attack on the important checks and balances on intelligence powers and government law enforcement powers.
When Congress passed the PATRIOT Act just 45 days after the 9/11 attacks, members knew a safety valve was needed. That’s why the PATRIOT Act was to be reviewed again in 2005. Right now Congressional representatives are debating the fate of the PATRIOT Act.
It's possible to be both safe and free. The Security and Freedom Enhancement Act (SAFE Act) does just that by guarding our constitutional liberties while giving law enforcement the power it needs to protect us from actual threats against our nation.
The SAFE Act represents the best check to the severe threats to individual liberty, privacy and due process posed by the PATRIOT Act by fixing its biggest problems.
- It limits the government’s ability to collect sensitive personal information without a warrant.
- It curtails “sneak and peek” provisions that allow federal authorities to search the homes of Americans without notifying them for weeks or months.
- It adjusts the section of the law allowing the FBI to access an individual’s medical, business, library and other records without having any actual evidence to link that person to terrorism or any other illegal activity.
The bipartisan movement to balance the PATRIOT Act is strong. But there are some in power who would prefer that the act stand untouched. They also want to expand the government’s ability to scrutinize every private aspect of a person’s life.
Why Correct the PATRIOT ACT?
Under the PATRIOT Act (and other administration actions that were taken without congressional involvement), the government can search your home without notifying you, can keep a file on what medications you use, how often you go to church, what churches you attend, and can get a list of the books you have obtained from your library and your local bookstore. The act requires your local librarian and bookseller to keep this hidden from you, even if these activities have nothing to do with the fight against terrorism.
We should provide law enforcement with necessary tools to fight terrorism, but the USA PATRIOT Act and related government actions also gave the government many new powers that go beyond the fight against terrorism. Parts of the USA PATRIOT Act and other government actions take away checks on law enforcement and threaten the very rights and freedoms that we are waging the war on terror to protect.
