[Libs-Or] MORE ACTION NEEDED Fwd: [District Dispatch] UPFebruary 9, 2011: USA PATRIOT Act - Mid-week Congressional Update

[Diedre Conkling]

 UPDATE: USA PATRIOT Act – Mid-week Congressional Update
February 09, 2011

At this writing, it’s the best of times, the worst of times…

URGENT MESSAGE TO ALL HOUSE MEMBERS:   the H.R. 514 vote now scheduled for
Thursday, February 10th, should again be defeated. Continue to vote against
H.R. 514 and support proposals such as those in S. 290″ that would better
protect civil liberties and reader privacy, in particular, while extending
the next sunset to December 2013.

MESSAGE TO SENATE  JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:  “Please vote YES on S. 290
in committee markup.  The bill provides reasonable changes to protect our
civil liberties, including reader privacy protections, increases oversight
and reporting while extending the sunsets until the end of 2013 to take
PATRIOT debate out of election year politics.  [ For previous report with
specific talking points see:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/federallegislation/theusapatriotact/advocate/index.cfm]

HOUSE:  PATRIOT Act bill defeated for first time in the House!… at least,
temporarily.

ALA has just heard, that the House of Representatives, which defeated H.R.
514, last night – will now have another vote tomorrow, Thursday, February 10
th.  H.R. 514 is a bill “To extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT
Improvement and Reuathorization Act of 2005 and Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 relating to access to…..[
http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/thomas].

This bill would extend three sections of the USA PATRIOT Act, including
Section 215, the business records section, often referred to as the “library
provision.”  The final vote was a surprise outcome for the new Republican
leadership – actually for many observers.  The bill had been debated Tuesday
on the House floor for less than an hour with the floor vote starting at
6:30 p.m.  Because the bill was on suspension calendar it required a 2/3rd
majority to pass – which did not happen.  It is likely that the next House
floor vote will be tomorrow, Thursday, February 10th.  House leadership will
bring the bill up on its regular agenda under rules that would allow for
only a simple majority for passage.

The current sunset for the three expiring sections (Secton 215/business
records, lone wolf and roving wiretaps provisions) is February 28, 2011,
which means Congress must move quickly.   H.R. 514 would establish a new
sunset of December 8, 2011, without any amendments or changes.  ALA supports
defeat of this sunset bill and urges needed amendments to Section 215, and
national security letters – which are in Senator Leahy’s S. 290. [

Preliminary vote analysis suggests that many new House members supported the
call from Rep. Ron Paul and other "libertarians" to minimize government
controls in our lives. Stayed tune for more on House activities.

Summary Chart of vote on HR 514, February 8, 2011:
  Yeas <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll026.xml#Y>
Nays<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll026.xml#N>
PRES NV <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll026.xml#NV> Republican 210 26 5
Democratic 67 122 4 Independent   TOTALS *277* *148* ** *9*

SENATE:

There is no business meeting or markup scheduled this week in the Senate
Judiciary Committee to address PATRIOT Act bills and the pending sunset of
February 28.  Last week Senator Leahy's bill, now S. 290, previously S. 193,
was tabled.  This tactic seems to support the Republican strategy of
delaying any action on substantive changes to the three expiring sections
(see above) so that one of the  "mere sunset extension" bills would
prevail.  [ For previous report with specific talking points see:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/federallegislation/theusapatriotact/advocate/index.cfm]

Standby for updates – while keeping messages going to House and Senate.

-- 

*Diedre Conkling
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR  97365
Phone & Fax:  541-265-3066
**Work email:  **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
*  NEW**
Home email:  **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>
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