[OPLINLIST] FW: [ALA-WO:203] PATRIOT Update and Call for Action

Wed Dec 14 15:03:13 EST 2005

FYI

Kent Oliver, Executive Director 
Stark County District Library 
715 Market Ave., N., Canton, OH 44702 
W: 330 458 2710 FAX: 330 455 9596 
KOliver at starklibrary.org <mailto:KOliver at starklibrary.org>  
" If God had him no balls and two strikes, he'd still get a hit." -
American League umpire Steve Palermo on George Brett

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ala-wo at ala.org [mailto:owner-ala-wo at ala.org] On Behalf Of
ALAWASH E-MAIL
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 2:37 PM
To: ALA Washington Office Newsline
Subject: [ALA-WO:203] PATRIOT Update and Call for Action

ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 14, Number 123 
Date: December 14, 2005

In This Issue: PATRIOT Act Update and Call for Action

As PATRIOT Act reauthorization approaches its 12/31 deadline, the White
House is pressuring Congress to pass the inadequate "compromise"
reauthorization bill (Conference Report).

H.R. 3199 the PATRIOT Act reauthorization conference report just passed
I the House (Yea= 251 Nay= 174; 43 Democrats voted yea and 17
Republicans voted nay. You can find the vote roster here:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll627.xml).  The battle now moves to
the Senate.  

The Senate plans to consider reauthorization this Friday, 12/16.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has stated his support for a
bipartisan filibuster in the Senate.  Read:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/12/14/battle_
over_patriot_act_renewal_heats_up_on_eve_of_house_vote/ .  

If you have already called or faxed your Senators about this issue,
thank you!  If you haven't yet made calls, now is the time to call your
Senators.

Please call the Washington offices of both your Senators no later than
Thursday, 12/15. (Look up their phone numbers via www.senate.gov.)  Tell
the person who answers the phone that, regarding the PATRIOT Act
reauthorization conference report, you want the Senator to:

* Vote NO on cloture and SUPPORT a filibuster. 
* Vote YES for a three-month continuing resolution. 
* Vote NO on the conference report (if it comes to a vote).

Please pay special attention to Senators who have not yet indicated how
they will vote.  Please call and thank the leaders of the Senate fight
against the conference report.  (See two lists of senators below.)

Your Message:

* Resolutions defending civil liberties and criticizing the PATRIOT Act
have been passed in the following communities in our state: [find list
at http://bordc.org/list.php?sortAlpha=1].  

* The conference report fails to ensure a connection between records
sought under section 215 and a suspected terrorist, unlike the
bipartisan compromise bill that the Senate passed unanimously.

* The conference report expands National Security Letter (NSL) powers.
Any business that does not comply with an NSL could face criminal
penalties.

* The conference report creates only illusory rights to challenge orders
for records and gag orders. Businesses receiving requests for records
would have only limited rights to challenge orders for records in court.
If the recipient challenges a gag order, the court must treat the
government's assertion of national security, diplomatic relations, or an
ongoing criminal investigation as conclusive. 

Senators who have not yet indicated how they plan to vote:

Alaska: Ted Stevens (202) 224-3004
Arkansas: Blanche Lincoln (202) 224-4843 and Mark Pryor (202) 224-2353
Connecticut: Joseph Lieberman (202) 224-4041
Delaware: Thomas Carper (202) 224-2441
Florida: Bill Nelson (202) 224-5274
Idaho: Mike Crapo (202) 224-6142
Indiana: Evan Bayh (202) 224-5623 and Richard Lugar (202) 224-4814
Kansas: Sam Brownback (202) 224-6521
Louisiana: Mary Landrieu (202) 224-5824
Maine: Susan Collins (202) 224-2523 and Olympia Snowe (202) 224-5344
Montana: Conrad Burns (202) 224-2644 and Max Baucus (202) 224-2651
North Dakota: Kent Conrad (202) 224-2043 and Byron Dorgan (202) 224-2551
Nebraska: Ben Nelson (202) 224-6551 and Chuck Hagel (202) 224-4224
New York: Charles Schumer (202) 224-6542 and Hillary Clinton (202)
224-4451
Ohio: Michael DeWine (202) 224-2315 and George Voinovich (202) 224-3353
Oklahoma: Tom Coburn (202) 224-5754
Oregon: Gordon Smith (202) 224-3753
Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee (202) 224-2921
South Dakota: Tim Johnson (202) 224-5842
Virginia: George Allen (202) 224-4024
West Virginia: Robert Byrd (202) 224-3954

Senators who are leading the fight against conference report: 
Your Message: Thank You!

Alaska: Lisa Murkowski (202) 224-6665
Colorado: Ken Salazar (202) 224-5852
Florida: Mel Martinez (202) 224-3041
Idaho: Larry Craig (202) 224-2752
Illinois: Dick Durbin (202) 224-2152
Massachusetts: Edward Kennedy (202) 224-4543
Michigan: Carl Levin (202) 224-6221
Nevada: Harry Reid (202) 224-3542
New Hampshire: John Sununu (202) 224-2841
Vermont: Patrick Leahy (202) 224-4242
West Virginia: Jay Rockefeller (202) 224-6472
Wisconsin: Russ Feingold (202) 224-5323

******
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