Stop Illegal Spying

As a constituent who cares deeply about respect for the rule of law, our nation's tradition of checks and balances, and the Fourth Amendment, I urge you to support immediate and thorough investigations into the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless spying program as well as other abuses of surveillance powers. Congress must uphold its Constitutional duty as a check on the Executive's power and put an end to such unprecedented violations of Americans' rights.

If anyone involved in the NSA spying program has broken the law, he or she should be held accountable. Hearings should be held to investigate the extent to which the law been broken and how to prevent such illegal activity now and in the future. The inquiry must also uncover the program's operational details, including whom it targets and the information it collects.

Such vigorous oversight is long overdue. It has now been over a year since the press first reported on this clear violation of the Fourth Amendment and the legal safeguards set up by Congress. Yet Congress has so far failed to thoroughly investigate the details of this still-shadowy program.

Meanwhile, more privacy invasions have continued to come to light and must also be the subject of Congressional scrutiny. For instance, the FBI has blatantly misused National Security Letters under PATRIOT Act and violated the law to spy on Americans' telephone, Internet, and other personal records, as documented in a report recently released by the Justice Department's Inspector General.

Congress should also eschew any expansions of surveillance power. It would be highly irresponsible to legislate in the dark, before the past and present abuse of surveillance powers has been thoroughly investigated.

It's time for Congress to do its job and help restore the checks and balances that define our democracy. Please support investigations regarding the secret NSA surveillance program and help stop the illegal spying.

StopIllegalSpying.org