ABA Urges Calls to House on Patriot Act

Editor’s Note: On Thursday, House and Senate leaders announced an agreement to re-authorize expiring provisions of the Patriot Act for four years without adding the privacy protections for bookstore and library records that ABA and the Campaign for Reader Privacy have been demanding for eight years. However, there are indications that an effort will be made to add amendments to the reauthorization bills.  ABA urges booksellers to ask their representatives in the House and Senate to support amendments adding reader privacy protections to the Patriot Act. A final vote is expected next week.

The American Booksellers Association is urging booksellers to immediately contact members of the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose a bill that extends provisions of the USA Patriot Act for six years without restoring safeguards to protect the privacy of bookstore and library records.

In an e-mail to all ABA members yesterday, CEO Oren Teicher warned that H.R. 1800, which will be up for a vote next week, would extend the government’s power to secretly search the bookstore and library records of people who are not suspected of criminal conduct, much less terrorism.

“I am asking you to join this latest battle in our eight-year-old fight to restore the safeguards for the privacy of American readers that were eliminated by the Patriot Act,” Teicher said. “We have a good chance of winning the battle this year if you will help. Calls and letters from booksellers have been incredibly important in the fight over the Patriot Act.”

Teicher urged booksellers to contact their House members by the end of the week. Calls and faxed letters, particularly letters printed on store letterhead, are the most effective messages, but e-mail also works. Contact information is available here; download a sample letter here.

ABA and the other members of the Campaign for Reader Privacy are supporting H.R. 1805, a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) that also extends the Patriot Act but limits bookstore and library searches to the records of people who are actually suspected of terrorism. The Senate is expected to vote soon.