On August 3, a day before the Senate's summer recess, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) hoped to hold a committee vote on S. 2453, the National Security Surveillance Act, which is strongly supported by the White House. Specter wanted the committee to pass the legislation, and send it on to the Senate for a full vote this fall.

But to Specter's chagrin, Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic moderate, boldly delivered a well-researched and impeccably reasoned speech opposing S. 2453.

"The new (Specter-White House) FISA bill is worse than no bill at all... The new bill would strengthen the President's authority to act outside FISA to permit the President or his designee to wiretap American citizens, enter their homes, or even open personal mail without a warrant," declared Senator Feinstein.

Per the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC), "Specter’s bill seeks to legalize the President’s domestic wiretapping program and give license for any other spy programs future presidents invent, free of meaningful oversight by Congress or the courts. "

Senator Specter claims he has the votes to pass S. 2453 out of his committee, and he may have enough votes to pass it in the Senate. At present, all Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee approve of the measure.

I urge all readers of this site to read Senator Dianne Feinstein's speech, the Specter-White House bill to massively expand Executive authority for warrantless wiretapping and searches.

Then contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and tell them to oppose this gross violation of all Amercians' Fourth amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Do it today! It's about YOUR privacy: the privacy and sanctity of your home and your phone calls, emails and mail.