Democracy in Action?
By Chip Pitts t r u t h o u t Perspective
Sunday 12 June 2005

Friday's Congressional hearing on the USA Patriot Act and civil liberties was indeed an interesting experience.

The hearing, called under a special rule by the Democratic minority members, was one of the relatively rare recent opportunities that a diverse selection of Patriot Act critics have had to voice their concerns to Congress, and the only opportunity thus far to begin to highlight the links between the depredations of rights at home and abroad.

It was also unique in ending abruptly in what the New York Times described as "an angry uproar," the Washington Post called "a cacophony of protests," and other news outlets simply agreed was "chaos."

At issue was the USA Patriot Act, portions of which sunset at the end of this year. The President gave yet another major speech urging complete renewal of those provisions last week, and the Senate Intelligence Committee after closed door hearings agreed with him that the law should not only be preserved, but expanded.

As if it's not enough that law enforcement can now obtain your library and bookstore records in secret and without probable cause, clandestinely search your home without prior notice, and consider you a terrorist for peaceful civil disobedience, the Senate Intelligence Committee wants to expand FBI administrative subpoena authority to obtain all kinds of records without even the semblance of judicial review, and even allow them to get copies of your mail.

Not only my organization, Amnesty International, but groups ranging from the ACLU and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, to Bob Barr's conservative coalition of gun owners and professional organizations ("Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances"), fault the administration's unwillingness to acknowledge the invasions of constitutional rights occasioned by the Patriot Act, and strongly oppose the unjustified additional powers sought.

As Fox News reported, "the hearing ended abruptly when committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., abruptly gaveled the meeting to an end and walked out, followed by other Republicans." Points of order raised by the Democrats were ignored.

Several Congressman at the hearing strongly criticized Amnesty International, mischaracterizing our positions and even stating that we were actually endangering American lives by documenting the administration's tragic and counterproductive torture policy. I was prevented from responding, until the barrage became so great that Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D- N.Y.) insisted, as a "point of decency," that I be allowed to do so. >>>continued

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/061205X.shtml

VIDEO SPECIAL GOP Walks Out on Patriot Act Hearing

http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm