MCLU Condemns Maine Senators for Weak Vote
PATRIOT Act Must Be Reformed to Protect Civil Liberties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 16, 2005
Contact: Shenna Bellows, MCLU Executive Director, 776-5404

Portland: The Maine Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Senate for rejecting a cloture motion to limit debate on legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act, and expressed disappointment that both Senators from Maine voted in favor of limiting debate.  Senators Snowe and Collins bowed to increasing pressure from the White House and its allies to adopt the flawed bill; fortunately, they did not gain the support needed to end the debate and efforts to fix the Patriot Act can continue.

“Today’s vote represents what we so rarely get from Congress – a second chance,” said Shenna Bellows, Executive Director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, “It’s time for Senators Collins and Snowe to heed their constituents’ call to fix the USA PATRIOT Act to bring it back in line with the US Constitution.”
While both Senators Snowe and Collins have acknowledged the need for Patriot Act reform, neither took advantage of this vote as an opportunity to make necessary improvements to the civil liberties violations contained in the Act.  Maine’s Representatives Michaud and Allen voted against reauthorization in the House.  47 Senators including four Republicans voted against cloture, and both Democrats and Republicans spoke passionately about the need to protect ordinary Americans from government misuse of these broad powers.  Many pointed to evidence that the secret records search powers expanded by the Patriot Act are being used with increasing frequency to gather the financial and Internet transaction records of innocent Americans.
Since the Patriot Act’s original passage, the State of Maine, along with Bangor, Mt. Vernon, Orono, Portland and Waterville, have passed resolutions against the Act.  The MCLU and a wide variety of bipartisan allies, including the Maine Library Association and the Maine Gun Owners Association, continue to call for meaningful changes to be made.  By voting in favor of cloture, Senators Snowe and Collins ignored the voices of their constituents who have called on them to stand up for civil liberties by supporting efforts to fix this flawed version of the Act.

“This reauthorization package takes the Patriot Act from bad to worse,” said Bellows.  “If Senators Collins and Snowe are serious about protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans, they will support meaningful reform.”

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