FC: Booksellers ask for support with amendment to USA Patriot Act

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

From: "Chris Finan" <chris () abffe com>
To: "Declan McCullagh" <declan () well com>
Subject: Urgent action needed to pass Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 11:56:36 -0400

Declan,

        The amendment to cut off Justice Department funding for bookstore and
library searches under Section 215 may be on the floor of the House as early
as today.  I'm attaching an update of the action alert that we sent out last
week.  Any help you can give in getting this around would be greatly
appreciated.

        Thanks!

Chris

To:     Book and library community

From:   Chris Finan, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression

Re:     Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment

        The U.S. House of Representatives will vote as early as today on an
amendment that cuts off Justice Department funding for searches of bookstore
and library records under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.  Congressman
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will offer the measure as an amendment to the
Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Bill of 2004.  It is
co-sponsored by John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID).

        The House has never voted on a proposal to limit the Patriot Act.  The vote
is expected to be very close.  It is urgent that you contact your Congress
member.  Because we don't know precisely when the measure will be brought up
on the floor, it is also critical to reach your representative as early in
the week as possible.

        For maximum effectiveness, call your representative's Washington office and
tell whoever answers the phone that you are calling to urge their boss to
vote "yes" on "the Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment to the Commerce, Justice
and State appropriations bill."  (There is no bill number yet.)  Then,
immediately follow up by faxing a note containing the same message on your
letterhead.

        If you need contact information for your Congress member, you can use the
search aid on the House Web site, http://www.house.gov.  You can also call
ABFFE at (212) 587-4025 between 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EDT).

        Section 215 has created a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment
rights by giving the FBI the power to secretly search the bookstore and
library records of anyone it believes may have information relevant to a
foreign intelligence investigation.  In March, Sanders introduced the
Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) to restore the protections for
customer privacy eliminated by the Patriot Act.  The bill has gained wide
support and is co-sponsored by 129 House members.

        However, the House leadership is refusing to hold a hearing on H.R. 1157.
The Sanders-Otter-Conyers amendment will give supporters of the bill an
opportunity to achieve its purpose through the appropriations process.

        Thank you for acting quickly!



________________________________
Chris Finan, president
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE)
139 Fulton St., Suite 302
New York, NY 10038
telephone, (212) 587-4025
fax, (212) 587-2436
http://www.abffe.com




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------