Extreme Telecomm Surveillance Being Rammed Through Friday

Put Congress on notice that the American people don’t want a compromise that sells out their rights.

secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy

Congress is set to vote Friday on a bill that gives immunity to telecom companies that broke the law and contains vacuum cleaner style surveillance that sweeps up the phone calls and emails of Americans. Already, we know it’s blatantly unconstitutional. Things are moving so fast and so secretively that the ACLU only got a copy of this bill this morning.

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Despite the outrage coming from a broad coalition of concerned citizens, by tomorrow night the House of Representatives will vote on whether or not to gut the Constitution and give immunity to phone companies who broke the law and spied on Americans.

We have to act now. Even if you’ve emailed, called or visited your members of Congress about FISA, we need you to contact them again today.

Congress is moving so fast and so secretively that we only got a copy of this bill this morning. I can tell you it’s horrible. It contains vacuum cleaner style surveillance that sweeps up the phone calls and emails of Americans. And it’s blatantly unconstitutional.

The bottom line is that this is legislation that benefits a few of our country’s largest corporations while taking away basic rights from the rest of us. And it is unacceptable.

I’m going to spend the rest of the day on the phone calling Capitol Hill trying to stop this bill. I hope you will spend whatever time you can to make the voice of freedom heard in Congress -- make calls, ask your friends and family to call -- please do whatever you can.

secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy

Put Congress on notice that the American people don’t want a "compromise" that sells out our rights. Act now. We’re hearing the vote is tomorrow, so we could have less than 24 hours.

Believe me, no matter what happens, the ACLU will continue fighting this -- if necessary, in the courts.

Thank you for all you have done through this fight. Your dedication has truly inspired me and all of us at the ACLU.
Now, let's hit the phones!

Thank you,
Caroline Fredrickson, ACLU
Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office

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When you call, say something like this:

I am a constituent calling about H.R. 6304, the Hoyer/Bush FISA Deal.
I urge you to vote "NO" because:

1. The Hoyer/Bush FISA deal allows for mass and untargeted surveillance of Americans’ communications.

2. The Hoyer/Bush FISA deal contains blanket immunity, virtually guaranteeing lawsuits against telecom companies will be dismissed. Ongoing lawsuits may be our last best hope of exposing the extent of illegal spying.

3. If leadership will not lead, it is the responsibility of every lawmaker to lead on this issue. You need to do what your constituents and the American people demand. Bowing to pressure from Republicans, the White House, the telecommunications companies and even Democratic leaders is unacceptable.