ACLU urges House committee to oppose HR3179 [priv]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[I haven't followed this closely, but I understand that the House 
Judiciary Committee (that is, Chairman Sensenbrenner) has postponed a 
scheduled markup of HR3179 tomorrow. If Sensenbrenner had not done so, 
the committee would probably have approved it without holding even one 
hearing at the full cmte level. This is the bill that the ACLU is 
concerned about below. --Declan]

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From:
Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU

To:
ACLU Action Network Members

Subject:
Stop Congress From Rolling Back Key Privacy Safeguards

1) Stop Congress From Rolling Back Key Privacy Safeguards
2) Join us for the 2004 ACLU Membership Conference

Acting in the name of stopping terrorism, Members of Congress continue 
to seek expansion of government power despite widespread concern about 
privacy and protection against government abuse.

One invasive piece of legislation being stealthily pushed through the 
House would enhance the government?s secret power to obtain personal 
records without judicial review.  It would also limit judicial 
discretion over the use of secret evidence in criminal cases and allow 
the use of secret intelligence wiretaps in immigration and possibly 
other civil cases without notice or an opportunity to suppress illegally 
acquired evidence.

This proposed legislation would allow government agents to gather 
information about you even if they have no reason to believe you were 
involved with the commission of a crime. And, if your banker or travel 
agent told you that the FBI had requested your private information, they 
could be imprisoned.

Take Action!  Don?t let Congress roll back key checks and balances over 
secret courts and government surveillance.

Click here to get more information and send a free fax to your 
Representative:

http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=15629&c=24

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