ACLU Releases Presidential Transition Plan To Restore Civil Liberties

Plan Offers Guide To Recovering Freedoms Lost Under BushAmerica’s good name. He must then proceed vigilantly to restore our other precious rights and values that have been trampled upon, including freedom from unchecked government surveillance, racial and gender equality, and government transparency.”

“The actions we are calling for are steps that the next president can take easily – in many cases with the stroke of a pen – but which will carry great weight in restoring our nation’s true place as a beacon of liberty, rights and justice in the eyes of others and ourselves,” said Fredrickson. “Many things the next president will need to do will be hard. But these will be easy.”

The ACLU’s 83-page document proposes actions across a wide variety of topics, including national security, human rights, women’s rights, civil rights, drug policy, the rights of LGBT Americans, immigrants and prisoners, privacy and free speech.

“Presidents have enormous power not only to set the legislative agenda, but also to establish policy by executive order, federal regulation, or simply by refocusing the efforts and emphases of the executive agencies,” said Fredrickson. “The new president must use all of these tools to restore our freedoms and move the country forward.”

“The American people still need to be reminded why grants of unchecked power do not actually make us safer,” said Fredrickson. “And why Americans must stand firm in protecting the values that at our best we have always represented and defended at home and around the world.”

To download and see the entire ACLU transition plan including suggested executive orders, mandates and directives from the president, go to www.aclu.org/transition