Subject: oppose S.2679, the Tools to Fight Terrorism Act
To: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@mit.edu>
From: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@MIT.EDU>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 16:23:53 -0400 (EDT)

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Senator Kennedy
Senator Kerry
Message text follows:

Matthew Belmonte
[address]


September 21, 2004

[recipient address was inserted here]


 [recipient name was inserted here],

I urge you to oppose current efforts to add to the 
USA PATRIOT Act through the "Tools to Fight Terrorism Act of 2004" (S. 
2679) or any other legislation.  I am particularly concerned about the 
"Tools to Fight Terrorism" Act because it would increase the government's 
powers to secretly obtain personal records without judicial review and 
limit judicial discretion over the use of secret evidence in criminal 
cases.  I believe this is an unnecessary and dangerous expansion of 
government power.

I believe we need to review, not expand, the PATRIOT Act.  Just 45 days 
after the 11 September attacks, with virtually no debate, Congress passed 
the USA PATRIOT Act.  By removing checks on executive powers and weakening 
judicial review, the USA PATRIOT Act threatens the very freedoms that the 
United States claims to be defending.  The 11 September Commission report 
clearly recommends that the government explain how, if at all, existing 
powers have been used to increase security.  Congress needs to revisit 
this legislation and bring it into line with the Constitution, not expand 
it with new powers.

The proposal's expansion of the death penalty may actually retard 
international cooperation in anti-terror efforts.  Many nations that have 
abolished the death penalty are unwilling to extradite or provide evidence 
in federal terrorism cases if the suspect could be subjected to the death 
penalty as a result of their cooperation with the United States.

This proposed legislation builds on many of the most troubling provisions 
of the Patriot Act.  To date, more than 352 localities within the United 
States, encompassing nearly 54 million people, have passed resolutions 
asking Congress to revisit the USA PATRIOT Act and to oppose any further 
expansion of the law.

Once again, I urge you to oppose S. 2679.  This proposed legislation is an 
unnecessary and dangerous expansion of government power.

Sincerely,


Matthew Belmonte