So-called Counterterrorism Bill Moving;
Rules Committee Sets Clock Ticking to Floor Debate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 5, 1996
WASHINGTON -- Despite continuing widespread national concern about the
powers granted to federal law enforcement, the House Rules Committee
today started the clock toward floor consideration of the so-called
antiterrorism act.
By issuing a call to all Representatives for their proposed amendments to
the "Effective Death Penalty and Antiterrorism Act of 1995," the House
leadership is making another attempt to revive the controversial
legislation. Floor debate is expected to begin on Monday, March 11.
The ACLU, which has been part of a diverse coalition of gun rights
organizations -- including the National Rifle Association -- and other
civil liberties groups opposing provisions of the legislation, warned of
a pending civil liberties disaster.
"Despite assurances from legislative leaders that the problems with the
previous version of this dangerous legislation have been fixed, the
legislation moving toward floor consideration would actually do even more
damage to civil liberties than the original," said Gregory T. Nojeim, an
ACLU Legislative Counsel.
The ACLU has been working in coalition with a diverse group of civil
liberties and gun rights groups to defeat this bill and various other
antiterrorism proposals that were introduced by members of Congress and
the Clinton Administration in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing
tragedy last April.
In addition to widely publicized concerns about the expansion of federal
law enforcement powers, late last year the ACLU; the National
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Gun Owners of America;
Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. and the Second
Amendment Foundation sent a letter to the Speaker and Minority Leader of
the House specifically opposing provisions that would devastate habeas
corpus.
In brief, the so-called counterterrorism bill would ultimately have its
greatest impact on American citizens who will suffer grave invasions of
privacy in the name of national security.
The bill marks a dramatic expansion in the powers of federal law
enforcement. It contains no provision for law enforcement accountability,
but includes provisions about habeas corpus that will virtually strip the
federal courts of their power to remedy law enforcement abuse that
results in unconstitutional denial of life and liberty. The bill will
also have a chilling effect on domestic groups who are critical of U.S.
foreign policies. Specifically, it will:
-- Give the Executive the authority to blacklist certain groups by
designating them as "terrorist."
-- Prevent Americans from inviting dissenting voices from other nations
to speak or to visit the United States.
-- Allow the deportation of individuals without giving them the
opportunity to know why they are being deported.
-- Expand the FBI's powers to obtain personal phone and travel records
without a criminal predicate.
-- Invite more illegal law enforcement wiretaps.
Transmitted: 3/16/96 8:21 PM (n030596a)
--
Stanton McCandlish
mech@eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Online Activist