IP: House Nears Vote on Anti-Terrorism Bill

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> > Envelope-to: wild () eff org
> > Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 22:15:27 -0700
> > From: American Patriot Friends Network <APFN () apfn org>
> > Reply-To: apfn () apfn org
> > Organization: http://www.apfn.org/old/apfncont.htm
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> > To: APFN Yahoogroups <apfn () yahoogroups com>
> > CC: Lvn4myLord () aol com, wild () eff org
> > Subject: House Nears Vote on Anti-Terrorism Bill
> >
> >
> > House Nears Vote on Anti-Terrorism Bill
> > http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=10485
> >
> > By JESSE J. HOLLAND
> > .c The Associated Press
> >
> > WASHINGTON (Oct. 23)  - Police would be able to conduct secret searches of
> > suspects' homes, tap all their cell and home phones and track their use of
> > the Internet under anti-terrorism legislation moving toward final approval in
> > the House.
> >
> > ''This is going to pass by an overwhelming margin,'' said Rep. Mike Oxley,
> > R-Ohio. ''I think we all understand that, because the members recognize that
> > the committees have done their work, have made the compromises and have made
> > the necessary changes to get a piece of legislation that can pass.''
> >
> > Lawmakers last week reached a compromise between the House and Senate
> > versions of President Bush's measure, which would expand the FBI's
> > wiretapping and electronic surveillance authority, impose stronger penalties
> > on those who harbor or finance terrorists and increase punishments of
> > terrorists.
> >
> > To come to that agreement, a GOP-Democrat compromise passed unanimously by
> > the House Judiciary Committee was dumped by House leaders in favor of the
> > modified Senate version being considered.
> >
> > ''This legislation is not perfect, and the process is not one that all will
> > embrace,'' House Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said Tuesday.
> > ''However, these are difficult times. ... This legislation is desperately
> > needed.''
> >
> > Some Democrats warned the bill gives law enforcers too much power. ''This is
> > one of the most important measures that we will determine ... because it is
> > anti-terrorist legislation that expands the law in many directions,'' said
> > Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
> >
> > Rep. Robert Scott, D-Va., added: ''It's not just limited to terrorism. Had it
> > been limited to terrorism, this bill could have passed three or four weeks
> > ago without much discussion.''
> >
> > House leaders said the bill will be voted on Wednesday, with the Senate
> > expected to take up the bill later this week. The plan is to get it to Bush
> > for a possible Friday signing at the White House.
> >
> > However, there may be a snag on the Senate side. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has
> > threatened to block final approval in the Senate because of a compromise
> > Senate negotiators made to get House approval.
> >
> > The original Senate bill tinkered with the ''McDade amendment,'' which
> > prevents federal prosecutors from using investigative techniques - such as
> > wiretaps or undercover stings - that are disallowed under ethics rules
> > crafted by state and local bar associations, although not barred by federal
> > law.
> >
> > The Senate fix would loosen the McDade amendment, named for Joe McDade, a
> > former congressman whose reputation was clouded by an eight-year racketeering
> > case before he won acquittal in 1996.
> >
> > Wyden wants the fix put back into the anti-terrorism bill and has threatened
> > to delay final approval. By Senate custom, any senator can block a bill, at
> > least temporarily. Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., can override the
> > block.
> >
> > The Senate's McDade compromise wasn't the only one made during negotiations
> > for the anti-terrorism bill.
> >
> > The Justice Department gave up on its demands that the new laws immediately
> > become permanent, a major loss for the Bush administration. The
> > administration ultimately decided that having the wiretapping and electronic
> > surveillance portion of the terrorism legislation expire at the end of 2005
> > was better than having no new laws at all.
> >
> > The Republican-controlled House gave up its insistence that money-laundering
> > legislation be passed separately and not with the anti-terrorism legislation.
> >
> > But Senate leaders repeatedly threatened to scuttle the bill if the
> > money-laundering provisions were taken out, and House leaders relented.
> >
> > They also dumped a provision, sought by some House members, that would have
> > prohibited the use of credit cards or checks for illegal Internet gambling.
> > Law enforcement authorities have identified Internet gambling as a means for
> > money laundering.
> >
> > In other action, the House:
> >
> > -Required registration of all researchers using biological agents or toxins
> > and made unregistered possession a felony, regardless of intent. It would
> > also become a federal crime to use biological agents in a way that shows
> > reckless disregard for public safety.
> >
> > -Passed legislation authorizing the Treasury Department to issue the first
> > war bonds since World War II.
> >
> > -Passed legislation to make it easier for students called up to active duty
> > in the military to pay off their college loans.
> >
> >  AP-NY-10-23-01 2127EDT
> > ============================================================================
> > Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 (Introduced in the House)
> > http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:2:./temp/~c107gqdzHS::
> >
> > Draft Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 (Sep. 19, 2001)
> > http://www.eff.org/sc/ashcroft_proposal.html
> >
> > ALERT: "Anti-Terrorism" Surveillance Bill May Pass This Week
> > Act Today and Ask Your Legislators to
> > Vote Against Rushed, Invasive Legislation
> > http://www.eff.org/alerts/20011010_eff_wiretap_alert.html
> >
> > Anti-terrorism bill damages liberty, foes say
> > http://www.security-informer.com/english/crd_about_699311.html
> >
> > Contact the  House:
> > http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html
> >
> > Contact the Senate:
> > http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm
> >
> > The 545 People Responsible For All of America's Woes
> > This also includes email addresses for house and senate
> > http://www.apfn.org/apfn/woes.htm


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