ACLU Urges Judiciary Committee to Amend Anti-Terrorism Bill; Says Bill Can Be Further Improved to Protect Safety and Liberty
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON — As anti-terrorism legislation began to move in the House of Representatives, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged members of the Judiciary Committee to accept several amendments aimed at further improving the measure to insuring that it protects safety and liberty.
“Congress can – and must – improve safety while preserving liberty,” said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU’s Washington National Office. “But without additional significant changes, the legislation before the House would unnecessarily weaken essential checks and balances on the authority of federal law enforcement.”
Specifically, the ACLU said it was supporting amendments that would ameliorate the worst provisions of the legislation introduced by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-WI, and John Conyers, ranking Democrat on the Committee. Included were proposals to amend the legislation by:
“As Governor Ridge said yesterday, liberty is a precious gift,” Murphy concluded. “Congress must reject the false choice of liberty versus safety.”
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