Say No to Illegal Government Spying

Barbara asked me to post this message so everyone can see it. The links work -- they'll take you to more information.

Legislative Action Message

Action: Say No to Illegal Government Spying

Take Action: Urge your representative to oppose warrantless eavesdropping.

Your representative will have an opportunity next week to restore oversight of government programs to eavesdrop on your telephone and Internet communications that were stripped away by legislation passed earlier this year. But the legislation to be considered next week needs to be strengthened to ensure that the government obtain an individual warrant every time it eavesdrops on the communications of U.S. citizens.

Here’s what you can do: The full House has scheduled a vote on legislation sponsored by Representatives John Conyers (MI) and Sylvestre Reyes (TX) that would restore many of the legal protections against government spying that were stripped away in legislation passed last August 2007. But the Conyers-Reyes bill, the RESTORE Act (H.R. 3773), still authorizes the government to spy on any person in the United States without an individual warrant, so long as that person is not the “primary” focus of the investigation.

This legislation should be amended to include language sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt (NJ) that would ban the government from spying on any U.S. citizens without first obtaining an individual warrant from a court. This is a basic right guaranteed by the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.

Take Action

Please urge your representative to support legislation that would restore court oversight of government spying programs. Tell your representative that the legislation needs to state explicitly that the government must obtain an individual warrant every time it eavesdrops on the communications of U.S. citizens.
Read background on this legislation.
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Friends Committee on National Legislation245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795fcnl@fcnl.org * http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/IBLOHSNCYW/HOWIHSNEIG/1474427091phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
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