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Over the last two weeks, members of Congress have been attempting to reach an agreement on FISA legislation. We are hearing that there is at least some support for the vital parts of the RESTORE Act, which goes further in protecting civil liberties than the Senate's FISA Amendments Act. They may also be moving toward a product that does leaves out retroactive telecom immunity.
Details are being worked out as you read this, but there is still time to help push them in the right direction -- tell Congress you support the rule of law. If the Bush administration violated Americans' constitutional rights and the telecom companies helped it do so, both should be held accountable.
Please join the emergency petition to STOP TELECOM IMMUNITY, and if you have not had the chance, check out the video of Americans speaking out that we produced with our allies at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
http://www.pfaw.org/go/StopImmunity
More than 20,000 activists have already signed, and the video has been featured on many of the nation's leading progressive blogs like DailyKos and Crooks and Liars, but we need more signatures before we deliver the petition to Congress.
Our Contempt of Congress petition that made such a difference had 45,000 signers. Help us match that with this petition. Sign today and ask your friends to sign as well.
-- Your Allies at People For the American Way
Join the groundswell of ordinary Americans speaking out against telecom immunity.
The Senate passed a FISA reform bill last week that not only falls short on adequately protecting Americans from warrantless surveillance, but also shamefully grants retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies that may have aided the Bush administration's illegal domestic wiretapping.
The House, which is showing encouraging signs of spinal fortitude in recent days, can still stop this. That is why we are launching an emergency petition to STOP TELECOM IMMUNITY. Please be one of the first to sign.
http://www.pfaw.org/go/StopImmunity
Americans are speaking out -- thousands have taken action, hundreds have participated in our collaborative multimedia project with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and have sent us video testimonials and pictures expressing their opposition to telecom immunity and warrantless spying. Please watch the video compilation we have just finished and get inspired by these activists (then sign the petition).
http://www.pfaw.org/go/StopImmunity
The House is thus far refusing to follow the Senate's lead on telecom immunity. And last week, a majority in the House heeded the call of the nearly 45,000 PFAW petition signers and voted to hold White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for their failure to honor congressional subpoenas.
The contempt vote showed that the House is ready to hold the administration accountable AND that petitions can make a real difference (in whipping votes, trying to move the contempt resolution, our allies on the Hill specifically cited the PFAW petition as part of the case that Americans wanted to see administration officials held accountable to the rule of law).
We know that many of you already have taken action with us to stop telecom immunity in the Senate, but because the House is showing some backbone, we feel bolstered and believe there is a real chance to stop it from getting to the president's desk . . . but we need you to act now.
Sign the petition. Watch the video. And spread the word to your friends by forwarding this e-mail or circulating the link.
http://www.pfaw.org/go/StopImmunity
Thank you again and congratulations on the contempt of congress victory. Now let's STOP TELECOM IMMUNITY!
-- Your Allies at People For the American Way
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