FrankRep
01-28-2008, 05:20 PM
Senate Rejects Attempt to Remove Immunity for Utilities Aiding Warrantless Wiretapping
The John Birch Society (http://www.JBS.org/)
Jan 28, 2008
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS:
In a 60-36 vote taken on January 24, the Senate rejected a proposal from the Senate Judiciary Committee that did not include immunity for telecommunications companies, protecting the companies from lawsuits stemming from their cooperation with our government's warrantless wiretap program. It is expected that this vote increases chances the legislation — S.2248 — will survive a final vote next week.
Follow this link to the original source: "Senate OK's immunity for utilities aiding warrantless wiretapping (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/25/senate_oks_immunity_for_utilities_aiding_warrantle ss_wiretapping/)"
COMMENTARY:
The John Birch Society has warned its members and those who read its online reports and print publications many times over the past year (http://www.jbs.org/search/node/fisa) (including a December 17, 2007 ALERT: Oppose Amnesty for Telecom Companies (http://www.jbs.org/node/6701)) that legislative tinkering with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) poses a severe threat to our right to privacy guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. This has been especially the case since 2001 because the Executive Branch of the federal government has been extensively monitoring telephone calls and e-mail messages between foreign countries and the United States.
Since 9/11, the Executive Branch and the largest telecommunications companies have been working together to spy on Americans in the name of the War on Terror. As part of the current legislation to extend (and amend) FISA after its expiration on February 1, S. 2248 includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies — to protect them from lawsuits resulting from cooperating with federal authorities in eavesdropping.
As a Washington Post writer noted on January 25: "The White House and Republican lawmakers are pushing to make the law permanent while also adding legal protections for telecommunications companies, which face dozens of lawsuits."
Though extending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is favored by the Bush administration, it could not accomplish this invasion of our citizens' privacy without cooperation from the Democrat-controlled Congress. The lopsided, 60-36 vote (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00002) to table (reject) the Judiciary Committee Amendment to remove immunity for the telecommunications companies indicates that both parties are cooperating in this assault on the Fourth Amendment. S.2248 was introduced in the Senate by Democrat Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV of West Virginia. Not one Republican senator voted against tabling the amendment, but a dozen Democrats sided with the Bush administration position.
Time is short. If you do not like the idea of having government spies listening in the next time a member of your family calls home from overseas, you must contact your senators (http://capwiz.com/jbs/home/) immediately and demand that they vote against S. 2248. If this measure is not approved by February 1, the FISA will (mercifully) expire.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/node/6953
The John Birch Society (http://www.JBS.org/)
Jan 28, 2008
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS:
In a 60-36 vote taken on January 24, the Senate rejected a proposal from the Senate Judiciary Committee that did not include immunity for telecommunications companies, protecting the companies from lawsuits stemming from their cooperation with our government's warrantless wiretap program. It is expected that this vote increases chances the legislation — S.2248 — will survive a final vote next week.
Follow this link to the original source: "Senate OK's immunity for utilities aiding warrantless wiretapping (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/25/senate_oks_immunity_for_utilities_aiding_warrantle ss_wiretapping/)"
COMMENTARY:
The John Birch Society has warned its members and those who read its online reports and print publications many times over the past year (http://www.jbs.org/search/node/fisa) (including a December 17, 2007 ALERT: Oppose Amnesty for Telecom Companies (http://www.jbs.org/node/6701)) that legislative tinkering with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) poses a severe threat to our right to privacy guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. This has been especially the case since 2001 because the Executive Branch of the federal government has been extensively monitoring telephone calls and e-mail messages between foreign countries and the United States.
Since 9/11, the Executive Branch and the largest telecommunications companies have been working together to spy on Americans in the name of the War on Terror. As part of the current legislation to extend (and amend) FISA after its expiration on February 1, S. 2248 includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies — to protect them from lawsuits resulting from cooperating with federal authorities in eavesdropping.
As a Washington Post writer noted on January 25: "The White House and Republican lawmakers are pushing to make the law permanent while also adding legal protections for telecommunications companies, which face dozens of lawsuits."
Though extending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is favored by the Bush administration, it could not accomplish this invasion of our citizens' privacy without cooperation from the Democrat-controlled Congress. The lopsided, 60-36 vote (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00002) to table (reject) the Judiciary Committee Amendment to remove immunity for the telecommunications companies indicates that both parties are cooperating in this assault on the Fourth Amendment. S.2248 was introduced in the Senate by Democrat Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV of West Virginia. Not one Republican senator voted against tabling the amendment, but a dozen Democrats sided with the Bush administration position.
Time is short. If you do not like the idea of having government spies listening in the next time a member of your family calls home from overseas, you must contact your senators (http://capwiz.com/jbs/home/) immediately and demand that they vote against S. 2248. If this measure is not approved by February 1, the FISA will (mercifully) expire.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/node/6953