From Hope Marston at the Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Dear Friends,
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act may not be as dead as it was portrayed in the CQ Politics article of mid-December. I apologize for hurrying on Friday to tell you news that appears now to be not news at all.
This morning I was told by other DC allies that S 1959 (the twin of HR 1955, which passed 404-6 in October) is still before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the Senate. According to one source, Sen. Susan Collins, the sponsor of the bill in the Senate, realizes there has been opposition to the bill, and is open to hearing from her constituents.
Others on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (where the bill now waits to be passed or not passed):
Joseph I. Lieberman Chairman (ID) (CT)
Democrat
Carl Levin (MI)
Daniel K. Akaka (HI)
Thomas R. Carper (DE)
Mark L. Pryor (AR)
Mary L. Landrieu (LA)
Barack Obama (IL)
Claire McCaskill (MO)
Jon Tester (MT)
Republican
Susan M. Collins Ranking Member (ME)
Ted Stevens (AK)
George V. Voinovich (OH)
Norm Coleman (MN)
Tom Coburn (OK)
Pete V. Domenici (NM)
John Warner (VA)
John E. Sununu (NH)
If your senator is on the committee, you might be able to help stop this bill from ever reaching the floor for a vote by meeting locally with the senator's aides. They do listen to their aides, especially when groups of constituents take the time to visit with and help educate them about the local feeling on a particular piece of legislation. Letters to the editor and opinion editorials that are published, clipped and sent to senators are also helpful. For tips on how to arrange meetings with aides, see: http://www.bordc.org/resources/workshop4.php
I apologize for getting so wrapped up in the excitement of the news the bill was dead -- only to learn now that negotiations are still ongoing to try to improve the bill. I will let you know what I learn as this process continues.
1 comment:
This Homegrown Terrorism bill definitely needs amended .. especially before it hits the floor for a vote. Personally I do not believe the bill is specific enough and leaves large gray areas of debate in it. Americans need their safety and security but do not need the Congress regulating all of our Americans' rights on the Internet. Congress has always wanted control over the Internet by whatever means they could find, now comes the Terrorism Bill. This will give them the opportunity to channel out the freedom of the Internet to express whatever an American chooses to .. all in the name of Terrorism control. I can plainly see this plot and the giant scam behind it. Now if the Internet can be used to monitor Internet traffic for Terrorism related reasons without interrupting normal Internet traffic amongst free Americans, so be it. I just don't agree with most of our present Congress representatives and their ideas, especially Nancy Jihad Pelosi.
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