TODAY: Senate Intelligence Committee in SECRET Patriot Act Mark-Up

I posted this earlier today when the newsflash came in from the ACLU. I believe it needs to be brought to DU's attention as this meeting reportedly took place this morning.

Original Post Today: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1482252

TODAY: Senate Intelligence Committee in SECRET Patriot Act Mark-Up

HEADS-UP

snip

Senate Committee to Review Controversial Patriot Act Legislation in Secret; Draft Legislation Hidden from Public

May 17, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – The Senate Intelligence Committee announced today that it is rushing forward with a markup of Patriot Act reauthorization legislation Thursday, but that the session will be behind closed doors.

Some of the most extreme parts of the Patriot Act are set to sunset, or expire, at the end of this year unless Congress reauthorizes them. When lawmakers passed the Patriot Act just 45 days after 9/11, they included these sunsets because they knew that some provisions shouldn’t be made permanent. The committee will be reviewing legislation involving the sunsets and other key parts of the Patriot Act that impact civil liberties.

Read More:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18256&c=206

Will be interesting to see who was present at the "meeting".

More from the site:

snip

The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director:

“One reason that people across the political spectrum are concerned about the Patriot Act is that so much of it is shrouded in secrecy. Many provisions are implemented secretly, and the government has kept secret key information on how it is being used. Now, lawmakers are trying to keep legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act secret as well.

“Nearly 400 communities, included seven states, have passed resolutions calling on lawmakers to bring the Patriot Act in line with the Constitution. Instead of addressing these legitimate concerns, and reviewing the act in daylight, some in Congress would rather hide behind closed doors away from public scrutiny. The Patriot Act has been the subject of heated debates in recent months—in Congress, in the media, and in households around the country. There is no good reason for the mark-up and vote on this public law to be kept secret from the public.”

For more information: http://www.aclu.org/sunsets