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The Senate is preparing to vote, possibly as early as Monday evening (Nov. 28), on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has profound implications for civil liberties. The ACLU-CT is asking its members to call on Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to protect our civil liberties by voting against its unconstitutional provisions.
Please urge Sen. Blumenthal to vote yes on the Udall Amendment and no on the Ayotte Amendment, and thank him for being an original co-sponsor on the Shaheen Amendment:
1) VOTE YES ON THE UDALL AMENDMENT: The Senate NDAA currently contains troubling provisions that would give the president-and all future presidents-the authority to indefinitely imprison people, without charge or trial, both abroad and inside the United States and would mandate military detention of some civilians who would otherwise be outside of military control. This indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is so harmful that the Obama White House has threatened to veto the bill if it is not removed. The Senate needs to back up the president and affirm the rule of law. Please urge Sen. Blumenthal to vote yes on the Udall amendment to the NDAA. The Udall amendment would delete the harmful provisions and instead set up an orderly process for Congress and the Administration to decide whether Congress should provide any new detention authority.
2) VOTE NO ON THE AYOTTE AMENDMENT: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) has introduced an amendment that would open the door to a return to cruel interrogations, overturning President Obama's executive order which requires that all U.S. interrogators abide by the Army's field manual on interrogations. Please urge Sen. Blumenthal to vote no on the Ayotte amendment.
3) THANK SEN. BLUMENTAHL FOR BEING AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR ON THE SHAHEEN AMENDMENT: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with several original co-sponsors - including Sen. Blumenthal - has introduced an amendment to the NDAA that provides insurance coverage of abortion for servicewomen and dependents who are victims of rape and incest. Under current law, abortion coverage is provided only when the woman's life is endangered and, unlike other federal health care programs, does not include coverage for rape or incest. Please thank Sen. Blumenthal for his leadership on this issue.
Sen. Blumenthal's office numbers are:
• In Hartford (860) 258-6940
• In Washington D.C. (202) 224-2823
Since Sen. Blumenthal is relatively new to the U.S. Senate, outreach to him by ACLU-CT members is critical to building our relationship with him. After your call, you can let us know his response by e-mailing info@acluct.org.
Thank you so much for taking action in support of civil liberties--protecting due process, denouncing torture, and safeguarding reproductive health.
Because freedom can't protect itself!
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