Date: Wed, 02  Apr  2003 08:10:07 -0500
From: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@MIT.EDU>
To: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@mit.edu>
Subject: support S.436, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Oversight Bill

Thank you for using The American Civil Liberties Union Mail System

Message sent to the following recipients:
Sen. Kennedy
Sen. Kerry
Message text follows:

Matthew Belmonte
[address]


April 2, 2003

[recipient address was inserted here]


 [recipient name was inserted here],

I urge you to support and cosponsor the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
(FISA) Oversight Bill (S. 436).

This important bill would ensure that elected officials are able to 
provide appropriate oversight over the secret FISA court.  This bill would 
not hinder law enforcement but instead would simply require the public 
accounting of basic information such as the number of Americans subjected 
to surveillance under FISA and the number of times that FISA information 
has been used for law enforcement purposes.

People from across the political spectrum agree that secret courts need 
oversight to prevent illegal surveillance and other invasions of human 
rights.  FISA powers are broad, and the secrecy of the proceedings makes 
FISA powers susceptible to abuse.  Without oversight there is no 
accountability and this secret court could rampantly issue improper and 
illegal warrants.

So far, the government has not been forthcoming with even the most basic 
information about the operation of this secret court.  Without this 
legislation, the government will continue to operate in secret, in 
contradiction to principles of fairness and open government.

Again, I urge you to support and to co-sponsor the FISA Oversight Bill (S. 
436).  I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this important matter.

Sincerely


Matthew Belmonte