Patriot Act Vote on Tuesday

Quote of the Day: "If Big Brother (of Orwell's 1984) comes to America, he will not be a fearsome, foreboding figure with a heart-chilling, omnipresent glare as in 1984. He will come with a smile on his face, a quip on his lips, a wave to the crowd, and a press that (a) dutifully reports the suppressive measures he is taking to save the nation from internal chaos and foreign threat; and (b) gingerly questions whether he will be able to succeed." -- Michael Parenti, Source: "Inventing Reality" (1986)

Washington sources tell us that a Patriot Act renewal bill is scheduled for a vote in the House TOMORROW, Tuesday February 8.

They will attempt to pass the bill, H.R.514, under "suspension of the rules," which requires a two-thirds vote.

Defeating this will only require 1/3 of Congress. That will buy us time, and time is what we need to educate Congress that the Patriot Act is unnecessary and dangerous.

HOWEVER, our sources also tell us we're likely to lose this vote, UNLESS WE ACT IMMEDIATELY. 

We have previously written about the Patriot Act and provided sample letters to oppose it:

* January 28: http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/how-the-patriot-act-led-to-40000-fbi-crimes

* February 4: http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/do-you-need-the-patriot-act

Here's another. PLEASE tell Congress to oppose this bill and to REPEAL the Patriot Act.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

I'm disturbed by Congress's negligent oversight of the Patriot Act . . .

* You haven't established that any of the powers given to the FBI and other federal agencies have actually PREVENTED acts of terrorism
* You have failed to investigate the FBI, or hold it accountable, for possibly tens of thousands of abuses https://www.eff.org/pages/patterns-misconduct-fbi-intelligence-violations

As a result . . .

* I don't feel that the Patriot Act has made us "safer"
* I'm more afraid of federal agents than I am of terrorists

Instead of renewing provisions of the Patriot Act, you should REPEAL all of it. And then you should hold hearings to investigate FBI abuses.

END LETTER

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