The American Civil Liberties Union applauds Senator Christopher Dodd for his leadership during the floor debate in the Senate this week on government spying on Americans, and for demanding that he phone companies be held accountable for breaking the law.
“Our constitutional rights are safe for now,” said Andrew L. Schneider, ACLU of Connecticut executive director. “We may not be able to count on all of our senators to do the right thing, but we can count on Christopher Dodd to stand up for our rights.”
“The American people got an early gift they probably weren’t expecting last night: real leadership in the Senate, in the form of Christopher Dodd,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Senator Dodd took a stand for our constitutional rights when most of the Senate was prepared to take a stand for powerful telephone companies. It was a moment that that signaled true leadership – something the Senate has been lacking in this debate.”
“This FISA bill would have run roughshod over the Fourth Amendment and given the telephone companies a get-out-of-jail-free card. We are thankful to Senator Dodd for having the sense to stand up against it. It’s comforting to know that the state of Connecticut has a senator who is understands the importance of privacy and justice,” said Schneider.
Fredrickson noted that the next battle over collecting phone records from Americans without a warrant and granting immunity to telephone companies for breaking the law for the past six years will probably come in January.
December 19, 2007
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