CRP Petitions to Be Distributed in Washington Soon

Even before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Congress had set a busy schedule for September, including the confirmation hearings of Judge John Roberts and the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. It is now not known whether the conference committee on the Patriot Act reauthorization legislation will meet as scheduled during the week of September 19. However, 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 -- are still planning to distribute signed petitions calling for an amendment of Section 215 of the Patriot Act to Senate offices in Washington, D.C., in advance of the committee meeting -- perhaps as early as next week. ABA is asking booksellers participating in CRP to make sure that all signed petitions arrive at ABA's offices at 200 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591, by tomorrow, Friday, September 9.

In addition, CRP is urging 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.

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

For a related story in this week's BTW, click here.