Press release: “Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on Friday introduced a resolution setting the record straight that Congress did not authorize President Bush’s illegal spying program when it passed a 2001 resolution governing the use of military force in the war on terror.” Text of S. Res.__,…the Authorization of Use of Military Force Does Not Authorize… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Patriot Act
ALA Announces Intention to File Patriot Act FOIA Request
American Libraries Online, January 13, 2006: “The American Library Association’s Executive Board intends to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if the FBI has been collecting information on the Association and its leaders as a result of their opposition to certain provisions of the USA Patriot… Continue Reading
CRS Legislative History On Use of Military Force Post 9/11
CRS: Authorization For Use Of Military Force in Response to the 9/11 Attacks (P.L. 107-40): Legislative History, January 4, 2006. [via FAS] Continue Reading
US Attorney Discusses Patriot Act in White House Online Forum
Today Ken Wainstein, United States Attorney, District of Columbia, discussed the use and reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act on the Ask the White House online forum. Related resource: Search and analyze the text from the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56), from AskSam Continue Reading
Patriot Act Reauthorization Fight Returns to Spotlight
White House press release today: President Discusses Use and Reauthorization of USA PATRIOT Act AP: Bush Pushes for Patriot Act Renewal From the ALA Washington Office Newsline “Please keep up the pressure on members of Congress by encouraging them to continue to fight for the following: 1. The ability for a Section 215 recipient to… Continue Reading
Five Week Patriot Act Extension Signed By President
Follow-up to my December 22 posting, House Approves 5 Week Extension for Patriot Act, news from AP that Bush Signs Patriot Act Extension at Ranch. From the NJ Madison Eagle: Librarians sounding off on Patriot Act – ‘Chilling Effect’ ‘Ask For Subpoena’ – “As the House, the Senate and the White House wrangled last week… Continue Reading
House Approves 5 Week Extension for Patriot Act
AP: “The House passed a five-week extension of the Patriot Act on Thursday and sent it to the Senate as Congress scrambled to prevent expiration of anti-terror law enforcement provisions on Dec. 31.” From Pelosi Statement on One-Month Extension of Patriot Act: “Mr. Speaker, there is a very crucial debate in this country today about… Continue Reading
Opposing Views on Patriot Act Reauthorization Presented in DOJ and Advocacy Group Statements
DOJ Fact Sheet, December 20, 2005 – Civil Liberties Safeguards in the USA PATRIOT Act Conference Report: “After months of debateincluding 23 Congressional hearings with over 60 witnessesthe Senate must act to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act before these key provisions expire. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the bill with strong… Continue Reading
House Judiciary Cmte. Democratic Staff Report Confronts Iraq War Issues
Report prepared by the Minority Staff of the House Judiciary Committee, The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War (273 pages, HTML link to Table of Contents) Press release by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. “…the report examines the Bush Administration’s actions in taking us… Continue Reading
Bush Radio Address Today; Feingold’s Response and Related Commentary
Radio Address by the President to the Nation, December 17, 2005: “This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power, under our laws and Constitution, to protect them and their civil liberties and that… Continue Reading
News of Classified Domestic Surveillance Operation Sparks Outrage
The revelation of previously undisclosed domestic surveillance operations, documented in by the New York Times in the December 15 article which apparently had been withheld from publication for a year, has generated considerable controversy and bipartisan reaction calling for a Congressional probe. Civil Liberties Become a Casualty of War Continue Reading
Patriot Act Reauthorization Blocked By Senate
As noted, this week marked a dramatic shift in Senate support for Patriot Act reauthorization without substantive reforms to the White House backed bill. Today a bipartisan group of Senators blocked the the bill’s approval (the vote was 52-47), noting other recent revelations about secret government surveillance as having an impact on their decision. WSJ… Continue Reading
