Protect Civil Liberties: Let The PATRIOT Act Expire!
UPDATE, February 15th: Please chip in a few dollars to help us air our ad! It starts running on DC-area news channels tomorrow, but we need your help to keep it going:
The House just passed the PATRIOT Act extension, so the fight moves on to the Senate. There are several versions of the bill in play there, some of which do much more than others to respect Americans' civil liberties -- and there are signals that we have several strong allies in Senate, with Rand Paul (R-KY) announcing his opposition earlier today. Let's keep up the pressure!
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ORIGINAL: The PATRIOT Act is set to expire in just FOUR WEEKS, but Congress is trying to rush through a last minute extension!
Since it was passed almost a decade ago, some of the most noxious portions of the PATRIOT Act have burrowed their way deep into our legal system. A year ago, President Obama signed a bill extending three provisions of the original PATRIOT Act; last week Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Michigan) introduced legislation to extend them again.
Together, these provisions make a mockery of our civil liberties: They let government officials spy on whomever they want, for any reason, without ever letting them know or giving them a chance to challenge the order in court.
Enough is enough: Will you join us in demanding that Congress finally let these provisions expire? Just add your name at right, and we'll automatically send a message to your senator, representative, and President Obama:
TO MY ELECTED OFFICIALS: After nearly ten years, it's time to let the PATRIOT Act expire once and for all. I urge you to oppose its re-authorization.
Add your name at right and we'll deliver your message to Washington.
Here's a more detailed article from the CATO Institute that explains some of the problems with the PATRIOT Act provisions that are up for extension. And here's an overview by the ACLU.