my care2
make a difference

community

shares

share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more

Alert: Please forward widely!  

Focus:Human Rights
Action Request:Phone Call
Location:United States


September 24, 2006

Please forward widely!
New "Compromise" Bills Actually Expands Warrantless Spying, Torture, and Detention Powers


Congress may vote as soon as this Tuesday on bills that would expand executive branch power to wiretap Americans without warrants and to subject detainees to coercive interrogations while denying them the fundamental right to challenge their detentions. Please call your Senators and your Representative Monday or Tuesday, even if you have already called! The Administration wants to rush through this new grab for unchecked power before Congress leaves for its election recess this Saturday.

What's new?

  • On Warrantless Wiretaps, California Representative Dan Lungren's amendment to Heather Wilson's House bill (H.R. 5825) would, among other things, give the government powers equivalent to a court order or subpoena against telecoms that refuse to hand their customers' records to the government without warrants. A similar provision has been added to Arlen Specter's Senate bill (S. 2453).
  • On Military Commissions, the so-called "compromise" on S. 3901 reached between the White House and three Senate Republicans would allow evidence coerced through torture and abuse to be used if a judge finds it credible. As before, it denies the writ of habeas corpus for detainees—including Guantánamo detainees whose habeas petitions are pending in U.S. federal courts. Only the Administration would be able to decide when and whether to try a detainee. It would also prohibit detainees from using the Geneva Conventions to challenge their detentions or to seek damages for their mistreatment, and it would insulate the CIA from legal liability for acts of torture used in past interrogations. The bill would define “cruel treatment” narrowly so that the CIA &ldquorogram” of coercive interrogation (involving sleep deprivation, stress positions, and the like) may continue. The President would have unilateral discretion over what actions besides certain defined “grave breaches” that violate the Geneva Conventions would be treated as violations under U.S. law.
  • A bill combining warrantless wiretapping and military commissions is a possibility. If a vote is taken on such a bill, it may be hard for some members to vote against it, especially in an election year.
Telephone your representative and your senators right away. We must stop Congress from rushing these bills in the final days before the election recess!

  • Dial the Capitol Switchboard at 202 224-3121 (24 hours) and ask the operator to connect you, or
  • Click here to look up your senators’ and representative’s direct numbers.
Suggested message

Tell the person who answers the phone that you have problems with bills to legalize the President’s warrantless domestic wiretapping program and detainee policy. Ask Senator __________ (or Representative _______) to do everything possible to block the NSA bill and the military commissions bill and any attempt to combine the two into a single bill. They need to be considered separately and fully and must not be rushed through.


Thank you for all you do!

Nancy Talanian, Director
Bill of Rights Defense Committee

Keep the BORDC going with your tax-deductible contribution. To donate funds or stock online, go to http://www.bordc.org/donate.php, or mail a check or money order to: 8 Bridge Street, Suite A, Northampton, MA, 01060.

If you have received this message in error, or you wish to unsubscribe from BORDC's newsletter and action alert, please send a message to newsletter@bordc.org with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject line.


© 2002-2006 Bill of Rights Defense Committee · All Rights Reserved · info@bordc.org
8 Bridge St., Suite A · Northampton, MA 01060 · (413) 582-0110
www.bordc.org
Last Updated: September


Posted: Sunday September 24, 2006, 1:31 pm
Visibility: Everyone
      

Tags: human bush rights torture detention spying wiretapping
add/edit tags

Group Discussions start a discussion
Comments add comment
Compose your comment and submit:

Flag as Inappropriate

AUTHOR: LINDA K.

female, age 48
married, 3 children
Milwaukee, WI, USA
LINDA'S SHARES
Sep 24
Alert: Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year
(1 comments  |  discussions ) — Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they've just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS—unbelievably, starting with programs like "Sesame S... more
Sep 22
Alert: Join me at the Virtual Protest for Justice at Smithfield
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — On September 29th, workers and activists will be joining together in New York City to protest Smithfield Packing's terrible treatment of its employees.You can be a part of this important protest without even coming to New York!  Join the Virtual ... more
Alert: Take Action: EPA gives preliminary approval for dangerous pesticides
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Take action: EPA gives preliminary approval for dangerous pesticidesLast May we informed you that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was pressuring its scientists to approve continued use of dangerous pesticides. Many of these pesticides s... more


ads keep care2 free
SHARES FROM LINDA'S NETWORK
Oct 8
Alert: Equality Ohio Alert by SJ S.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Contact the Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party Today Last night a concerned straight ally contacted us. She was disturbed and saddened to see that Ohio's children & families are once again being used as part of a distorted attempt to sway vo... more
Oct 7
Blog: Saving the U.S. Economy Through “Trickle Up” Economics by Deepak C.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Saving the U.S. Economy Through “Trickle Up” Economics Deepak Chopra - October 06, 2008 Dear Friends,I would like to share with you the 14 Point Program that my good friend, Rinaldo Brutoco founder and president of World Business ... more
Blog: Economic Solution Through Service, Not Greed by Deepak C.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Economic Solution Through Service, Not Greed Deepak Chopra - October 03, 2008 I asked my friend Rinaldo Brutoco founder and president of World Business Academy to guest blog here on practical suggestions to reverse the trend we are seeing in ... more
Oct 6
Blog: Ohioans, last day to Register to vote today (and also can Vote at one time) by SJ S.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — S -- What you do today could determine the outcome of this election -- in Ohio and across the country. Monday, October 6th, is the last day to register to vote in Ohio. It's also the last day to participate in One-Stop Early Voting, where you can r... more
Oct 4
Message: With God On Our Side by Eric S.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military (Hardcover) Michael L. Weinstein and Davin Seay BUZZFLASH REVIEWS   "Ten thousand cadets and staff at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, ... more


ads keep care2 free
MORE ALERT
Oct 11
Alert: Speak Up for the Endangered Species Act by JAMES S.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Did You Already Submit Comments?Don't Forget to Let Us Know! Thanks so much to the thousands of you that let us know you submitted comments to speak out against the proposed rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act.If you haven't already, there's onl... more
Alert: Ask McDonald's to take a stand against cloned animals by JAMES S.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — October 11, 2008Will McDonald’s hamburgers be made from clones? As part of the company’s recently launched “See What We’re Made Of” campaign, McDonald's is inviting consumers to learn about the ingredients that make up... more
Alert: Terrorist Running for President of the USA;Muslims in uk await Obamas Orders to come back to USA by jazz j.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Oct 11, 2008 7:17 AMSubject: Muslim Male Extremist's in our Gov't,,read my blog as well , Body: This is a matter of opinion and (well you know) everybody has one...:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />If after reading this email you disagree, Please, no need t... more
Alert: Terrorist Running for Presdident of the USA by jazz j.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Oct 11, 2008 7:17 AMSubject: Muslim Male Extremist's in our Gov't,,read my blog as well , Body: This is a matter of opinion and (well you know) everybody has one...:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />If after reading this email you disagree, Please, no need t... more
Alert: Muslim male extremists.is running for President of the USA;Can not let this happen; by jazz j.
(0 comments  |  0 discussions ) — Muslim male extremists.Oct 11, 2008 7:17 AMSubject: Muslim Male Extremist's in our Gov't,,read my blog as well , Body: This is a matter of opinion and (well you know) everybody has one...:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />If after reading this email you disa... more
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.
Copyright © 2008 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved