| WASHINGTON
- October 24 - The anti-terrorism bill
passed today by the House of Representatives includes some
improvements in the draconian legislation initially proposed by
Attorney General John Ashcroft, but still includes contains that
create the potential for serious violations of Americans' civil
liberties, said People For the American Way President Ralph G.
Neas.
Neas said action by House leaders earlier this month to prevent
a floor vote on a bipartisan bill approved by a unanimous House
Judiciary Committee had been "a major setback in the effort to
strike a more reasonable balance between national security and
civil liberties." The bill agreed to by House and Senate leaders
this week is closer to the administration's original proposal.
Some improvements urged by civil liberties advocates across a
wide ideological spectrum did make it into the final bill, said
Neas, who called the four-year sunset on some surveillance
provisions "an important check on potential abuse."
Neas said it would be vital for congressional committees to
commit themselves to effective oversight of the expanded
surveillance and detention powers contained in the bill, and said
that public interest advocates would engage in their own
monitoring.
"People For the American Way will work with our allies to
monitor the implementation of these new measures," said Neas. "We
will not hesitate to seek congressional action even before the end
of the four-year sunset provision if there is evidence of abuse."
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