Will Our Senators Support the Fourth Amendment Today?
It seems that the FISA Amendments Act, a piece of legislation that allows massive, practically unrestricted spying against Americans by the federal government, is likely to come up for a vote in the United States Senate today.
The FISA Amendments Act is plainly in violation of the fourth amendment to the Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights. This legislation is an attack on our American freedom.
The FISA Amendments Act also provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped George W. Bush spy on millions of Americans’ personal communications. Why is that important? Retroactive immunity keeps lawsuits against the telecom corporations out of the courtroom, and thus prevents information about President Bush’s spying program from becoming public. Even Congress still does not know how far Bush went with his electronic spying.
Let me summarize: The FISA Amendments Act is a thoroughly bad idea. It opens the door to government abuse of power, and critically compromises our rights as American citizens.
What are our senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, likely to do? Will they vote against the FISA Amendments Act?
I can’t tell you. That’s because Senators Clinton and Schumer refuse to say what they’ll do.
I called their offices a few minutes ago. Senator Clinton’s aide only would say that Hillary Clinton opposes retroactive immunity. She wouldn’t say whether Senator Clinton would actually vote against the FISA Amendments Act or whether Senator Clinton opposes the other abusive elements of the law.
When I called Senator Schumer’s office, I was told that Senator Schumer will not comment about what he intends to do about the FISA Amendments Act.
Senators Russ Feingold and Christopher Dodd have announced their plan to filibuster the FISA Amendments Act. Will Schumer and Clinton join them or leave them hanging?
We’re residents of New York state, not Alabama or Wyoming. We deserve senators who will take the lead in representing our state’s progressive values, and not just sit on the fence.
Please call our senators as soon as possible, before the FISA Amendments Act comes up for a vote, and tell them how you’d like them to vote on this legislation, and the attempt to filibuster.
Senator Hillary Clinton: (202) 224-4451
Senator Charles Schumer: (202) 224-6542
Repeal FISA is up and running. Anyone who wants to is welcome to sign up and become a blogger on it. The purpose of the blog is to organize a drive to repeal the FISA laws and all laws that pardon or give immunity from prosecution anyone who has violated the Constitution during the Bush Administration.
That is why we want everyone to be able to Post so they can start a conversation about an idea they have to make this happen.
Stop on by and check it out. By all means leave a comment and sign up to blog with us as we figure out what needs to be done to return our Fourth Amendment Rights and our rule of law.
If you have a blog already and you become a poster we will link to your site.
http://repealfisa.wordpress.com/