May 13, 2003
Letter to Representative Moran
Letter to Representative Moran
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
May 13, 2003
The Honorable James P. Moran
U.S House of Representatives
2239 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4608
Dear Representative Moran:
As your constituent, I urge you to support the “Freedom to Read Protection Act” (HR. 1157). This act would restore key constitutional protections removed by the USA PATRIOT Act by exempting libraries and bookstores from the laws that allow the FBI to conduct searches of personal records without probable cause of criminal activity.
Resolutions against the PATRIOT Act have passed in 104 communities in 24 states — including one state-wide resolution in Hawaii. These communities represent approximately 11.1 million people who are concerned about the USA PATRIOT Act and its impacts on civil liberties. In response to one section of the PATRIOT Act alone, many librarians across the country have decided to put up signs warning patrons that the FBI may be snooping in their records.
The Fourth Amendment guarantees protections from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Freedom to Read Protection Act will uphold the key principles of privacy and limited government power.
The FBI has been aggressively using its new powers without providing Congress with explanations about its activities. A University of Illinois survey shows libraries were targeted at least 175 times in the year after 9/11 — yet the FBI refuses to explain how or why. What good is protection from terrorism if we all lose our liberty in the process? In the end, we’ll have lost the very thing we were trying to protect.
Once again, I urge you to support the “Freedom to Read Protection Act” (HR. 1157).
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter and trust you’ll do the right thing.
Sincerely,
James Landrith
May 27, 2003
Mr. James Landrith
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, Virginia 22306
Dear Mr. Landrith:
Thank you for contacting my office and sharing your thoughts regarding the Freedom to Read Protection Act of 2003 (H.R. 1157).
As you may know, the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) was introduced on March 6, 2003 by Representative Sanders. If enacted, this legislation would reinstate legal standards for investigations of libraries and bookstores which were in place before the passage of section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Section 215 of the Patriot Act grants the Director of the FBI the power to get a sealed warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court (FISA) to search businesses for “any tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities.” These affected businesses include libraries, both public and private, and bookstores. Under Section 215 the FBI does not need to show probable cause nor do they need to have any suspicion that the subject of the investigation is a foreign power or agent of a foreign power before they are granted a sealed warrant. Librarians and book store owners are also forbidden to report that an FBI search has occurred in their establishment.
Currently, H.R. 1157 has been jointly referred to the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee. Section 215 is having a chilling effect on the reading public who frequent libraries and bookstores. It also sets a troubling precedent for the Justice Department to secretly search and seize private records without public accountability. You may be pleased to know that I have signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 1157. Rest assured that I will keep your comments in mind and continue to support passage of this important legislation.
Please feel free to visit my website at http://www.house.gov/moran which contains information on topics that may be of interest to you. Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue.
Yours truly,
James P. Moran
JPM/int1