Get FISA Right

Things are expected to move quickly in the Senate; I’ve heard that the SJC may report a bill out as early as October 1.  So that’s likely to be where a lot of the action is.  Center for Democracy and Technology’s Patriot Act Sunsets Should Prompt Re-consideration of Anti-terror Powers ends with a useful section on What’s next in Congress for the Patriot Act?

In the short term:

• 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 22,  House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and
  Civil Liberties hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act, chaired by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).  Speakers include Suzanne Spaulding and Michael German of the ACLU, former GOP Representative Tom Evans, former GOP Representative from Delaware, and former DOJer Kenneth Weinstein.
• 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 23: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Also, for those wanting to know more about the JUSTICE Act, here are various organizational endorsements:

• Justice for True Patriots, ACLU
• Senate Bill Defends Reader Privacy by Regulating Surveillance, American Library Association
• Bill of Rights Defence Commiteee Strongly Supports the JUSTICE Act
• EFF Supports JUSTICE Act to Reform the USA PATRIOT Act and Repeal Telco Immunity

Chip Pitts listed several other endorsing organizations on the Get FISA Right wiki, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Center for National Security Studies, the National Coalition Against Censorship, PEN American Center, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation … hopefully just the start of a longer list.  If anybody has links to their endorsement statements, or knows of other endorsing groups, please leave the information in the comments.  Thanks as always!

jon

PS: Get FISA Right organizer Ben Masel has created a Facebook group Pass the JUSTICE Act.  Please join, and help get the word out!

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