CRP to Distribute Petitions to Senators on September 13

This week, the sponsors of the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP) -- the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, and PEN American Center -- announced that they would be distributing signed petitions calling for an amendment of Section 215 of the Patriot Act to Senate offices in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 13. ABA is asking booksellers participating in CRP to make sure that all signed petitions are mailed to the association's offices at 200 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591, to arrive no later than Friday, September 9.

Last week, CRP issued a press statement urging supporters to continue pushing for the Senate version of the Patriot Act reauthorization legislation during the final weeks of the two-and-a-half year battle to amend Section 215.

CRP is asking supporters of reader privacy to call on their House and Senate representatives to ask them to endorse letters being circulated by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Senators Richard Durbin (R-ID) and Larry Craig (R-ID) that urge Senate and House conferees to defend the Senate-passed version of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill, the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 (S. 1389). The groups noted that S. 1389 provides much more stringent safeguards to reader privacy than the House bill. The conferees are expected to meet soon after Congress returns from its August recess.

In another development, this week the Washington Post reported that, in a meeting with Post editors, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales stated that he preferred the House version of the Patriot Act reauthorization bill. "There are certain provisions of the Senate version that make it more difficult to protect our country," Gonzales told the Post, which also reported that the Attorney General said, "He was hopeful that 'at the end of the day ... we will have a conference bill' that is closer to the House version of the legislation."

This statement comes in stark contrast to comments Gonzales made at Congressional hearings in April and in subsequent television interviews, including two on July 24, with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and on Fox News Sunday, in which the Attorney General conceded that Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act needed clarification.

ABA is strongly urging booksellers to redouble their efforts to collect signatures on petitions during the final days of the campaign.

For more information about the Campaign for Reader Privacy and Section 215 of the Patriot Act, including a downloadable petition form, go to www.bookweb.org/read/7679.