Announcement of House Judiciary committee vote on Wednesday:
http://judiciary.house.gov/markup.aspx?ID=103
Text of Judiciary bill:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.3199:
Perhaps the most important part:
"SEC. 3. REPEAL OF USA PATRIOT ACT SUNSET PROVISION.
Section 224 of the USA PATRIOT ACT is repealed."
And a vote in the House Intelligence committee also Wednesday:
http://intelligence.house.gov/EventsItem.aspx?id=196
-Declan
---
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Free Congress Foundation
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
FREE CONGRESS FOUNDATION: RETAIN THE SUNSETS
Washington: Stephen M. Lilienthal, Director of the Center for Privacy
and Technology Policy at the Free Congress Foundation, expressed concern
that the House Judiciary Committee bill extending the USA Patriot Act
does not retain the existing sunset powers. The House Judiciary
Committee’s legislation does not include the provision for
administrative subpoenas, a power which could receive judicial review
only after searches have been executed. That omission from the
legislation is certainly welcomed.
“The concern is not that the Patriot Act powers will be used against the
terrorists; it is that the powers will start to be used in other areas
of law enforcement. Prudence dictates that a check be retained on the
Patriot Act powers to ensure constant review of their application,”
Lilienthal said.
“President Bush is absolutely right when he says the threat of terrorism
will be with us for a very long time. So will the Patriot Act powers.
Many conservatives understand full well how future policymakers can take
laws intended for an important reason –combating terrorism – and try
applying those powers to other areas. Not only should the existing
sunsets be retained, they should be added to such far-reaching powers as
the Section 213 delayed notification searches (“sneak and peek”) that
short-circuit the Fourth Amendment because it extends well beyond
fighting terrorism. A sunset should also be applied to the expanded
definition of domestic terrorism because its application could endanger
assertive -- but legitimate -- political activists whose only crime is
being politically incorrect.”
A recent Washington Times story quoted an anonymous staffer of the House
Judiciary Committee expressing dismay that the Department of Justice has
not been forthcoming with material on how the Patriot Act powers are
being used. If true, that failure to provide the committee charged with
providing oversight of the Patriot Act’s execution indicates the need
for the addition of effective checks and balances to the legislation.
- 30 -
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