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ACLU Calls on Patriot Act Negotiators to Protect Privacy and Freedom, Reject White House Pressure (11/10/2005)
WASHINGTON - Following a move by the House Wednesday that rebuked the White House's position on the Patriot Act, key members of the House and Senate are meeting today to reconcile differences between Patriot Act reauthorization bills. The American Civil Liberties Union called on the conferees to use the Senate version as their guide and put checks and balances on the controversial law.

ACLU Urges Congress to Reject Court Stripping Measure; Proposal Denies Detainees the Right to Challenge the Use of Torture (11/10/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged senators to reject an amendment, offered by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that would make the McCain anti-torture amendment nearly impossible to enforce at Guantanamo Bay. The Graham amendment would strip all courts, including the Supreme Court, of jurisdiction to consider habeas corpus petitions or any other action challenging any aspect of the detention of foreign detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, except for the narrow question of whether status review boards follow their own rules.

House Rebukes White House, Stands For Protection of Privacy and Freedom, ACLU Commends Congressional Steps to Restore Essential Checks in Patriot Act (11/09/2005)
WASHINGTON -The U.S. House voted today to reject the Bush Administration's demand that Congress limit its role in overseeing Patriot Act powers and called for legislation that would help fix some of the secret search powers expanded by the act in 2001. The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the bipartisan push by lawmakers, which specifically calls on Congress to revisit some of the more controversial powers again in four years.

Coalition Wins Challenge to Watch-List Policy (11/09/2005)
The American Civil Liberties Union and 12 other national non-profit organizations today said they have successfully challenged Office of Personnel Management's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) requirements that all participating charities check their employees and expenditures against several government watch lists for "terrorist activities" and that organizations certify that they do not contribute funds to organizations on those lists.

Bipartisan Call for Modest Reforms Rejected by Congressional Negotiators, "Freedom to Read" Amendment Would Have Fixed Some Patriot Act Problems (11/04/2005)
WASHINGTON - Negotiators reconciling differences between the House and Senate bills to fund the Justice Department today dropped the "Freedom to Read" amendment, which was passed by a bipartisan majority in the House. The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its disappointment that conferees dropped the provision authored by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which would have denied funding for the FBI to access library and bookstore records under section 215 of the Patriot Act. The Sanders amendment had been adopted on a vote of 238-187 this summer.

Right-Left Coalition Calls for Senate Version of Patriot Act Reforms, Recent FBI Disclosures Reaffirm Need for Protections Against Abuse (10/26/2005)
WASHINGTON - A recent disclosure that FBI agents violated numerous "authorities granted or expanded" by sections of the Patriot Act prompted a right-left coalition to renew calls for Patriot Act reforms today. The American Civil Liberties Union joined conservative allies to support Senate reforms that would begin to bring the law in line with the Constitution by restoring needed checks and balances.

Report Shows FBI Violated Internal Surveillance Guidelines: ACLU Says Disclosure Highlights Need for Patriot Act Reforms (10/24/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong concerns about the disclosure that the Department of Justice violated its own internal guidelines when it conducted secret intelligence surveillance on people in the United States, and said that the revelation was only further proof that Patriot Act reforms are needed. Congress is currently considering renewing or expanding several provisions of that law.

Lawmakers Call for Senate Version of Patriot Act Reform, ACLU Commends Bipartisan Support for Modest Corrections (10/20/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today commended lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, and in both chambers of Congress, for calling for modest reforms to the Patriot Act. In bipartisan "Dear Conferee" letters addressed to members of Congress ironing out the differences between the House and Senate Patriot Act reauthorization bills, 163 members of the House and 25 members of the Senate called for the adoption of the Senate version.

Controversial Justice Department Nominee Withdraws From Consideration; ACLU Says Torture and Abuse Questions Remain Unanswered (10/07/2005)
WASHINGTON -Timothy E. Flanigan, the controversial nominee to be deputy attorney general, withdrew his name from consideration today, just days after the Senate adopted the McCain anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill. Flanigan was one of the architects of policies that led to the detainee abuses, and the American Civil Liberties Union said that his decision should not distract Congress from fully investigating those interrogation policies.

Supreme Court Keeps Gag Intact as Appeals Court Set to Hear Patriot Act Challenge (10/07/2005)
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court today denied an emergency application to vacate a stay in the American Civil Liberties Union's challenge to a Patriot Act provision that authorizes the FBI to demand library and Internet records without judicial review. A district court judge had ordered a gag in the case lifted on September 9, but stayed the ruling on appeal; the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the stay.

Business Organizations Back Senate Patriot Act Reforms Protecting Consumer Privacy (10/05/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed a letter sent by leading business organizations to the Senate Tuesday calling for reforms to sweeping Patriot Act powers. Concerned with consumer privacy, and the burden that government records searches place on businesses, the organizations support proposed reforms in the Senate version of Patriot Act reauthorization legislation. Signatories include the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Realtors, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Financial Services Roundtable and Business Civil Liberties, Inc.

ACLU Supports Anti-Torture Amendment by McCain, Republicans, President's Veto Would Block Restoration of Rule of Law (10/05/2005)
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of tonight's Senate approval of an anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), the American Civil Liberties Union applauded McCain's push for reform and urged the administration to drop its veto threat. The legislation has strong bipartisan support, but the president has said he would veto the entire defense bill if it is included.

Justice Department Report Reveals FBI Wiretap Mistakes, ACLU Says Disclosure Shows Further Need for Patriot Act Reforms (10/03/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that a disclosure that the FBI sometimes wiretaps the wrong number in terrorism investigations only underscores the need to place safeguards in the Patriot Act against abuse. Congressional negotiators are currently working to reconcile differing bills to reauthorize the law.

ACLU Applauds Congress for Reigning in Secure Flight Program; Funding Measure Would Halt Launch, Bar Use of Commercial Databases (09/30/2005)
WASHINGTON - Conferees working on the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security maintained a ban on the implementation of the Secure Flight passenger-screening program until it is approved by a non-partisan agency, and barred the program from accessing records maintained by commercial data brokers. The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the move, calling it a victory for the privacy of all air passengers and yet another setback for the Transportation Security Administration's controversial program.

Key Player in Torture Scandal Nominated to No. 2 Post at Justice Department; ACLU Expresses Deep Concern With Embattled Appointee (09/28/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern that Timothy Flanigan, who served as deputy to then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee to be deputy attorney general. The committee is scheduled to vote on his confirmation Thursday morning.

ACLU Calls For Strengthening of DHS Privacy Office, Calls on Department Not to Weaken Position in Wake of O'Connor Kelly's Departure (09/28/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union urged the Department of Homeland Security not to weaken the position of Chief Privacy Officer in the wake of the announcement by Nuala O'Connor Kelly today that she is leaving the position, and called for Congress to strengthen the DHS privacy office by giving it greater independence and powers of review.

Librarians, Lawmakers and Conservatives Join ACLU in Call to Lift Gag Order, Say "John Doe" Must Be Allowed to Participate in Patriot Act Debate (09/28/2005)
WASHINGTON -The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, the Free Congress Foundation and members of Congress gathered today to urge the Justice Department to lift a gag order silencing Americans who have received demands for personal records under the Patriot Act. "John Doe," an organization that is an ALA member and a client of the ACLU, is challenging a provision of the anti-terrorism law, parts of which are up for reauthorization.