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Report from National Member Conference 2008
June 11, 2008 11:59 AM

Thanks to the efforts of the National ACLU staff, and the participation of well over 1000 enthusiastic ACLU members from around the country, the Member conference in DC was a great success. You can see highlights and listen to programs on the ACLU national site.

Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined us for a lunch honoring the service of retiring ACLU board president Nadine Strossen.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice Ginsburg addresses the crowd

We had a handful of hardy Illinoisans who joined me and Nick Rutan on the Hill yesterday. Meetings with Sen. Durbin's office and Sen. Obama's office went extremely well. Staffers indicated the Sentators support for our 3 priority issues: ending torture and holding those responsible accountable; blocking any FISA reform bill that allows for warrantless wiretapping or immunity for lawbreaking telecoms and stopping the SAVE act, or any legislation what would require employers to use the error-riddled Social Security Administration database to "match" employee numbers.

Please consider calling both senators Obama and Durbin via the Capitol Hill switchboard ((202)224-3121) and encouraging them to continue their leadership on these three issues by taking the following actions:

FISA AND THE 4TH AMENDMENT

Protect our privacy and preserve the Fourth Amendment
Ensure judicial oversight and individual warrants
Don't legislate - investigate

ASK: Members of Congress should reject any legislation that would authorize warrantless wiretapping and/or gives immunity to telecommunications companies for their role in domestic spying.

EMPLOYEE VERIFICATION

Support bills that would increase privacy protections and clean up errorridden government databases
Oppose any legislation that mandates a burdensome and ineffective employment verification program, including the SAVE Act
Oppose the SAVE Act: co-sponsorship and/or support of the discharge petition are unacceptable

ASK: Members of Congress should oppose the SAVE Act (H.R. 4088) or any similar measure containing employment verification language if it comes up for a vote; refuse to co-sponsor and/or remove their names as co-sponsors of the SAVE Act; and decline to sign and/or remove their names from the SAVE Act discharge petition. Lawmakers should support legislation mandating the government clean up its error-ridden databases before any verification programs become law.

GOVERNMENT SPONSORED TORTURE

Find out once and for all which high-ranking White House officials ordered the use of torture and what crimes they committed
Urge the appointment of a special counsel
Ensure our country never again engages in the use of torture

ASK: Members of Congress should be asked to thoroughly investigate the use of torture by our government; get to the bottom of which high-ranking officials authorized these tactics and determine whether federal criminal laws were broken. In addition, lawmakers should demand the attorney general
appoint a special counsel to investigate what crimes were committed and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

You can also reach your Congressperson via the Capitol Hill switchboard (and they can help you determine who that is, if you are unsure) at (202)224-3121. Please take the time to encourage them to take the same strong stands against Torture, against warrantless wiretapping and immunity for telecommunications companies, and against the e-verify system.

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