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Backroom FISA deal in the works
The fight over surveillance legislation continues in Washington as Congress once again considers gutting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The latest rumors are of a backroom deal that would push through a dangerous sellout on government spying.
In February, the House stood up to President Bush’s fear-mongering tactics by letting the so-called “Protect America Act” expire. This poorly named bill eviscerated the protections of FISA and violated the constitutional rights of Americans.
But now, word comes that the House leadership may be working hand-in-hand with Senator Jay Rockefeller, who has spearheaded efforts to grant immunity to law-breaking telecommunications companies. If this new “compromise” has the support of Senator Rockefeller and the White House, it would most likely hand the president all of the powers the House wisely refused to give him in February.
The ACLU is urging the House leadership – and every representative – to draw a line in the sand by rejecting any compromise that would give President Bush new powers to spy on Americans without a warrant or provide immunity to the telecoms.
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ACLU Welcomes Detainee Basic Medical Care Act (5/13/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union applauds Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) for introducing the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008. This legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop procedures to ensure adequate medical care for all detainees held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The legislation also requires ICE to report detainee deaths to the DHS and Department of Justice Offices of Inspector General.
Disability Backlogs Violate Due Process Rights (5/8/2008)WASHINGTON, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union was encouraged by today’s
Senate Finance Committee hearing on service delivery problems with the Social
Security Administration (SSA) field offices. The SSA has struggled in processing
disability claims in reasonable timeframes and the ACLU has concerns that a
mandatory employment verification system would capsize the already overburdened
agency. ACLU Lauds House Judiciary Committee on Torture Investigation (5/7/2008)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union lauds the House Judiciary Committee and especially its chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and subcommittee chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) for compelling former members of the Bush administration to appear before the committee as part of an investigation of the authorization of illegal torture of prisoners in US custody by the highest public officials in the executive branch. ACLU Applauds House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on Administration
Authorization of Torture (5/6/2008)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union was pleased to see the House
Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
hold today’s hearing to examine the executive branch’s role in authorizing harsh
interrogation methods. The ACLU calls on Congress to conduct a systematic,
top-to-bottom investigation to explore whether crimes have been committed and
how high up the authorization originated. Employment Verification Would Create a ‘No Work List’ in the U.S. (5/6/2008)
WASHINGTON – As the House Ways & Means subcommittee on Social Security
met today to debate employment eligibility verification systems, the American
Civil Liberties Union sounds its call for Congress not to erect barriers for
Americans who seek employment. The hearing is to examine the impact that
employment verification systems would have on the Social Security Administration
(SSA), an already overburdened governmental agency. ACLU Commends Senator Feingold for Hearing on Secret Law (4/30/2008)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties
Union today applauded a Senate subcommittee for holding a hearing on the Bush
administration’s use of secrecy to institute government policy. During the hearing, entitled “Secret Law
and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government,” the Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee on the Constitution and its chairman, Senator Russell Feingold
(D-WI), heard testimony from legal experts and open government advocates. The hearing focused on the
administration’s broad interpretation of the law as it relates to government
secrecy and counterterrorism policies – including a legal opinion written by
former Justice Department Official John Yoo on the use of torture in
interrogations. That memo was made
public through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the
ACLU. ACLU Testifies
before Senate against Real ID (4/29/2008)WASHINGTON – Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington
Legislative Office testified today about the privacy and security concerns with
creating a federal identity document every American will need in order to fly on
commercial airlines, enter government buildings, or open a bank account. The
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia held an oversight hearing on the Real ID Act and the Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative, examining the federal government’s capacity to implement the
new identification systems. Senate Poised to Tighten Broadcast Ownership Rules (4/24/08) Washington, DC – Today, the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to approve a bipartisan resolution, sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), which would restore a media ownership rule recently rescinded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The old rule generally restricted a company from owning both a newspaper and a television station in the same city, unless the FCC granted a waiver.
ACLU Urges House to Remain Firm as FISA Stalemate Continues (4/24/08)
Washington, DC – In response to reports that Republicans in the House of Representatives have filed a discharge petition in order to force a vote on a Senate-passed update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the American Civil Liberties Union released the following statement.
ACLU Urges Senate Committee to Pass Strong State Secrets Bill (4/24/08)
Washington, DC – As the Senate Judiciary Committee meets today to mark up key legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the body to pass a bill that would allow Americans to hold their government accountable. The bill, introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would limit the scope of the state secrets privilege. The Bush administration, which has threatened to veto Senator Kennedy’s bill, has used the privilege to halt several important lawsuits against the government, including an ACLU case involving the extraordinary rendition of an innocent German citizen, Khaled El-Masri.
Congress Expected to Pass Health Privacy Protections (4/24/08)
WASHINGTON DC - After more than a decade of debates, hearings and votes, Congress is expected to pass legislation referred to as the first civil rights bill of the 21st century that is a critical step toward securing civil liberties in the emerging field of medical technology.
ACLU Applauds Senate Scrutiny of Overbroad NSL Authority (4/23/2008)
Washington, DC – As an overbroad and often-abused
power is examined today by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the American Civil
Liberties Union urged members of the committee to thoroughly question its
witnesses before marking up legislation aimed at fixing the problem. The “National Security Letter Reform
Act” introduced by committee member Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), would
narrow the scope of National Security Letters (NSLs) and curb abuse by federal
law enforcement. NSLs are used to
obtain access to personal customer records from Internet Service Providers,
financial institutions and credit reporting agencies. Recipients of the NSLs are generally
forbidden, or “gagged,” from disclosing that they have received the
letters.
Prison Litigation Act Must Be Fixed (4/22/2008)
Washington, DC – The House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
Security is scheduled to examine reform of the Prison Litigation
Reform Act (PLRA), which was originally passed by Congress in 1996 as a way to
stem the tide against what were thought to be frivolous lawsuits by
prisoners. Since that time, the law has been used repeatedly to deny
justice to victims of rape, assault, religious rights violations and other
serious abuses.
ACLU: Keep the Internet Open and Innovative (4/17/2008)
Washington, DC –The ACLU submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today calling for open access to the internet. Its activists plan to participate in today’s FCC public hearing on Internet freedom and net neutrality in Palo Alto.
ACLU Encouraged By Bipartisan Support of Shield Bill (4/15/2008)
WASHINGTON - After reports that the three major presidential candidates expressed support for The Free Flow of Information Act, the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Senate leadership to use that momentum to bring H.R. 2102, the House-passed version of the bill, to the floor for a vote. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) all signaled their support for a federal shield bill yesterday, with Senator McCain announcing his backing in a speech and Senators Clinton and Obama adding their names as co-sponsors of the Senate version of the bill.
ACLU Calls for Investigation into NSL Abuse (04/8/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union yesterday called on Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine to begin an internal investigation into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) use of National Security Letters (NSLs), and whether they were used to funnel Americans’ private information to the Department of Defense (DOD). The NSL statute is a tool used by law enforcement to compel the release of information, such as communications or business records, without a court order. The revelation that the military is getting the FBI to issue NSLs in strictly DOD investigations was disclosed in documents obtained by the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The ACLU sent a letter to Fine yesterday asking him to investigate whether the FBI has aided the DOD in circumventing the law.
ACLU Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Probe Department of Homeland Security (04/02/2008)
WASHINGTON - Today, as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee for an annual oversight hearing, the American Civil Liberties Union calls on the committee to demand he answer tough questions about DHS’s most troubling initiatives. The ACLU submitted a statement for the record detailing concerns the organization has with some of the department’s activities, namely recent policies regarding immigration raids, deaths in immigration detention facilities, Real ID, Total Information Awareness and fusion centers.
ACLU Wants Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule Reversed (04/02/2008)
WASHINGTON - In a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Vice Chairman Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), the American Civil Liberties Union urged support of a resolution (S. J. Res 28) disapproving of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on broadcast media cross-ownership.
Vote by Mail Legislation Eliminates Burdens on the Right to Vote (04/02/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong support for H.R. 281, the “Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act,” scheduled for markup by the House Administration Committee later this morning. Sponsored by Representative Susan Davis (D-CA), H.R. 281 would ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to vote by mail in federal elections for any reason.
ACLU Tells House to Remain Steadfast on FISA (04/01/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today commented on reports that President Bush said he is willing to negotiate on the domestic surveillance program.
South Carolina Stands Firm Against DHS and Real ID (03/31/2008)
WASHINGTON - The governor of South Carolina today issued a blistering critique of the Department of Homeland Security's national identification program, Real ID. The state is facing a DHS-imposed deadline to request that their drivers' licenses and ID cards continue to be accepted for federal purposes. South Carolina was one of seven states that passed legislation prohibiting participation in the Real ID program, yet five of those states have already been granted waivers on the statutory deadline.
High Court Refuses to Review Arizona Prison’s Abortion Policy (03/24/2008)
WASHINGTON - The United States Supreme Court announced today that it would not review a lower court decision preventing prison officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, from interfering with women prisoners’ access to timely, safe, and legal abortion care.
ACLU Mourns Marvin Johnson (03/21/2008)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its deep sorrow over the death of First Amendment Counsel Marvin Johnson, who passed away last night after a long battle with complications from diabetes. Before he joined the Washington Legislative Office in March 2000, he served as the Executive Director of the ACLU of Wyoming and before that as its board chair.
Civil Rights Coalition Charges That Republished "No Match" Rule Will Hurt American Workers (03/21/2008)
WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today reissued a "no match" rule with no substantial changes that would continue to put American and other authorized workers at risk of losing their jobs. If the newly released DHS rule were to take effect, it would still improperly use social security records for immigration enforcement.
Montana and DHS Go to Eye-to-Eye, and DHS Blinks (03/21/2008)
WASHINGTON - In the strongest confirmation yet that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is caving in to state resistance on the Real ID Act, DHS today agreed not to enforce the requirements of the Real ID Act on the state of Montana, even though the state has passed a law prohibiting implementation. To date, nearly a dozen states have received extensions without committing to comply with the act - including three states in which the legislatures have actually passed statutes barring compliance. In other cases, DHS has granted extensions despite explicit statements disclaiming any intention of complying.
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