[Libs-Or] ACTION ITEM: Oppose H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012

[Diedre Conkling]

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2012/09/oppose-h-r-5949-the-fisa-amendments-act-faa-reauthorization-act-of-2012/

Oppose H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012
Posted on September 11, 2012 by Lynne Bradley

*URGENT:* September 13th vote pending in the House on FISA (Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act)

*ACTIVISTS:* Use our legislative action
center<http://capwiz.com/ala/callalert/index.tt?alertid=61859476&PROCESS=Call+Now>to
send messages to House members opposing H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments
Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012 or call your congressional
representative *now*!

*The message to all House members:* Oppose H.R. 5949 the FISA Amendments
Act Reauthorization Act of
2012<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.112hr5949>,
H.R. 5949. Protect Americans' privacy and constitutional rights. Do not
extend the FAA sunset until December 31, 2017.

ALA asks library supporters to ask the House to oppose this latest attempt
to reauthorize the FAA. Unexpectedly, a quick vote on H.R. 5949, is
scheduled for this Thursday, September 13th.

*BACKGROUND:* It's *déjà vu* all over again: *Watch what you say and do on
your phones, emails and other communications because, once again, the House
of Representatives appears ready to reauthorize the 2008 FAA law that
legalized the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program and
more.* The American public, including our library patrons, will continue to
be exposed to needless surveillance under this reauthorization.

The FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of
2012<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.112hr5949>,
H.R. 5949, (yes, this is the correct name of the bill and the law) would
extend the provisions of the 2008 FAA to December 31, 2017, rather than
letting the FISA sunset on December 31, 2012. The government is allowed to
get 12-month orders from the secret FISA court to conduct "dragnet
surveillance of Americans' international communications--including phone
calls, emails, and internet records--for the purpose of collecting foreign
intelligence." *****

As we did in 2008, the American Library Association (ALA) continues to
argue against the FISA Amendments Act because of the FAA's lack of
transparency and the potential for abuse of the system that has been
created.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) is taking leadership in the House to oppose H.R.
5949 and to bring some rationality to the necessary balance between our
constitutional rights and the needs of law enforcement. *Urge
representatives to follow Polis' lead and to vote against or amend H.R.
5949.*

If passed, the bill, at the very least, should be amended to include:

   - Requirements that the government disclose more about the extent and
   the nature of the surveillance that has been conducted under the FAA;
   - Requirements for reporting about the number of U.S. citizens and
   individuals affected;
   - Amendments that prevent mass surveillance and prohibit use of
   collected information for any other government uses beyond national
   surveillance.

The current FAA law authorizes the government to conduct surveillance in
the United States on people that are reasonably considered to be "non-U.S.
persons". That also means the government can monitor communications between
U.S. citizens and these non-U.S. persons. This process is approved without
any meaningful judicial authorization and without probable cause. The FISA
Court only evaluates if the procedures used to conduct the surveillance are
designed to target those people that are reasonably believed to be outside
of the country. Information is now coming out from the government about the
impact on U.S. persons under this law.

Use our legislative action
center<http://capwiz.com/ala/callalert/index.tt?alertid=61859476&PROCESS=Call+Now>to
send messages to House members opposing H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments
Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012 or call your congressional
representative now!
------------------------------

*** From the ACLU Washington Legislative Office web site where additional
details are available: ACLU's Washington
Markup<http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/house-vote-fisa-amendments-act-wednesday>
.

-- 
*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>
*
Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>

 "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change
your attitude."--Maya Angelou
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20120911/9794cf5b/attachment.html>