Our Senator Casey explains why he voted FOR the FISA - you decide

July 14, 2008 - 7:56pm — Bill

Like many, I wrote to Senator Casey asking him to vote against the recent FISA bill, which basically says corporations don't have to follow the constitution if the government tells them secretly they don't have to worry about it.

Really, why should a corporation have to obey the constitution, the highest law in the land?

Here's what Casey said in response. What do you think?

Dear Friend:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding debate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.

After careful deliberation, on July 9, 2008, I voted in favor of legislation to revise and update the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act of 1978. This bill is not perfect, but it does improve on the legislation hurried into law last summer by the White House when it comes to strengthening civil liberties protections for Americans, enhancing judicial oversight, and providing the intelligence community with the necessary tools and legal authorities to target terrorists who would do harm to the American people.

Despite these improvements, I also believe the bill had some significant shortcomings. For that reason, I proudly voted for the Feingold-Dodd amendment that would have stripped immunity for telecommunication firms that may have cooperated with the President's warrantless surveillance program from the bill. Additionally, I have cosponsored and spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Bingaman amendment that would have delayed these limited immunity provisions until the Congress receives a final report on the President's warrantless surveillance program. Unfortunately, both of these amendments failed to gain the necessary support for passage.

However, I was pleased that the legislation enshrines the principle that the FISA statute is the exclusive authority for electronic surveillance and that the President must obey the FISA statute. It also restores the principle of basic judicial oversight over all surveillance activities and re-establishes the principal of accountability by requiring a comprehensive Inspector General's report on the President's warrantless surveillance program within a year. It is for these reasons I ultimately chose to vote in favor of the final bill.

I have been gratified to hear from so many of my constituents on this issue. Please be assured that I kept your concerns in mind as I deliberated and cast my vote. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator

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Comments

Repond to FISA by helping the ACLU sue the government

Bill - 07/14/2008 - 8:03pm

I'm already a member of the ACLU - as we all should be - and I figure their response to the FISA vote is the way to go - sue the lapdogs in congress we elected to watch over our interests and defend our constitution.

Dear ACLU Supporter,
Today, elected officials in Washington sold out the Constitution -- again.
Cowed by the Bush administration’s pre-election scare tactics, the Senate passed freedom-stealing FISA legislation undermining your Fourth Amendment rights.
This is not a “compromise,” as some in Congress would have us believe. The only thing they compromised is your freedom. Become an ACLU monthly donor, and stand up for your rights.
The FISA Amendments Act allows for mass, untargeted and warrantless surveillance of all communications coming into and out of the United States. And to top it off, it hands immunity to telecom companies for their role in domestic spying. This means your phone calls can be tapped and emails read with virtually no proof of threat, and there's no chance to learn how the telecoms invaded your privacy.
It’s outrageous, unconstitutional and un-American. That’s why the ACLU is prepared to challenge this unconstitutional law the moment President Bush signs it.
Help the ACLU protect your privacy. Make a monthly pledge to support the ACLU’s lawsuit challenging the gutting of FISA and all of our other critical work defending the Constitution.
Now is an especially important time for you to act. Not only can you help fund essential work fighting this unconstitutional legislation but your decision to make a monthly pledge can move us a giant step closer to our target of 2,000 new monthly supporters this month. If we reach that goal by July 31st, the ACLU will earn a $100,000 Matching Gift further strengthening our efforts to stand up for freedom as no other organization in America can.
As a Guardian of Liberty, you can join tens of thousands of your fellow citizens in donating a small amount each month to help the ACLU’s critical work in defense of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Donate now to help the ACLU fight for freedom and move closer to our $100,000 Matching Gift goal.
In one fell swoop, Congress has not only legalized the Bush administration’s secret NSA spying program, it has given the government even more power to listen to our phone calls and read our emails than even the Bush administration illegally claimed for itself under its secret program. And, by granting telecoms immunity, it has greatly harmed the chances of ever learning the extent of the administration’s lawless actions.
While politicians lack resolve, the ACLU and its supporters do not. Stand with the ACLU by becoming a monthly supporter of the ACLU today.
In defense of freedom,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU
P.S. Act now to help strengthen the ACLU by providing ongoing monthly support and moving us closer to that $100,000 Matching Gift.

Annoyed about the FISA telcom immunity vote? Sign ACLU's ad

Bill - 07/15/2008 - 4:03pm

Something new from the ACLU:

Dear ACLU Supporter,
On FISA, Congress and President Bush betrayed their commitment to protecting the Constitution -- and people all over the country are expressing their outrage.
From the moment the ACLU announced our lawsuit challenging the new FISA law as a violation of the Constitution, we’ve seen a remarkable outpouring of pubic support.
The next step in our all-out campaign is a dramatic show of public outrage in this Thursday’s edition of the New York Times.
Stand with us: add your name to our July 17th New York Times ad.
Our ad will show thousands upon thousands of names streaming across a full page of the New York Times -- making it clear just how determined people all across the nation are to keep fighting for our freedom.
The ACLU is challenging this dangerous new law directly in the courts. But, equally important, we must let Congress know that when they betray the trust of the American voters, they’ll hear from you in the court of public opinion.
Send Congress and President Bush a powerful message: democracy is about the government listening, not listening in. And next time, stand up for our rights.
Add your name to our ad!
The deadline for submitting our ad to the New York Times is only 24 hours away. We’ll do our best to get as many names as possible in the ad, but may not be able to fit every one. Act quickly. Sign up now in support of our lawsuit.
In defense of freedom,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU