Patriot Act II, coming soon

[GreenArrow]

The 911 Commission has provided a perfect rationale for ramming it through. Bend over, grit your teeth, and get ready for it.

[Massacure]

1. Congress end's pretty soon

It may end up getting halted to next year.

[G_j]

2. legislation would establish 23 separate new death penalties in one stroke

http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=15502&c=24

Oppose Expansion of the Death Penalty under the PATRIOT Act


Despite being stymied in its efforts to push a successor to the controversial USA Patriot Act through Congress, the Bush Administration is urging the U.S. House to pass a piece of this legislation that would dramatically expand the federal death penalty, including expansion based on the PATRIOT Act's infamous "domestic terrorism" provisions.

Due to the groundswell of opposition against the PATRIOT Act, President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft have been unable to introduce its sequel -- "PATRIOT Act II" -- as a single package. Instead, they are trying to escape public notice by passing it in pieces. One of these pieces, the "Terrorist Penalties Enhancement Act of 2003" (HR 2934) would be an unprecedented expansion of the federal death penalty.

The proposed legislation would establish 23 separate new death penalties in one stroke and would also create an unprecedented “catch-all” death penalty for any crime that meets the PATRIOT Act’s overbroad definition of terrorism.

This bill would hurt the war on terror by reducing the cooperation that foreign governments would be willing to provide. This lost cooperation would include critical information and the ability to extradite suspected terrorists.

Take Action! Urge your Representative to oppose this unnecessary and unwise expansion of the death penalty.