Sanders Urges Congress to Defy Presidential Veto Threat
Sanders Urges Congress to Defy Presidential Veto Threat
6/14/2005
"It is unfortunate that President Bush is threatening to veto the $57.5 billion FY06 Science-State-Justice appropriations bill because of his fear that my amendment, which has wide support across the political spectrum and which would prohibit the FBI from spying on the reading habits of innocent Americans, might pass. I urge my fellow members of Congress to stand up to the President and defend our basic constitutional rights.
Millions of Americans, whether they are progressive, conservative or moderate, are increasingly concerned about government attacks on our basic civil liberties. The American people want Congress to protect them against terrorism, but they want it done in a way that does not undermine basic constitutional rights. The American people want to know that when they go into a library or bookstore, they can read what they want without fear that big brother is snooping on their reading habits. Under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, as currently written, the FBI can walk into a secret FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court, tell a judge that he is doing an investigation on terrorism, and that judge must grant the FBI the right to go into a library or bookstore and obtain their reading records. The FBI need not show probable cause, nor even reasonable grounds to believe, that the person whose records it seeks is engaged in criminal activities. The simple truth is that the FBI could spy on a person because they don't like the books she reads, or because she wrote a letter to the editor critical of a governmental policy. Further, those served with Section 215 orders are prohibited from disclosing the fact to anyone else. Those who are the subjects of the surveillance are never notified that their privacy has been compromised. It is critical that we amend Section 215 in order to protect the basic civil liberties that define our nation."
http://bernie.house.gov/documents/releases/20050614185304.asp