Richmond, VA-- The American Civil Liberties Union applauds Senator Jim Webb for his leadership on Monday night during the floor debate in the Senate on government spying on Americans and for demanding the phone companies be held accountable for breaking the law.
“Our constitutional rights are safe under the tree for now,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis. “We may not be able to count on all of our senators to do the right thing, but we can count on Sen. Webb 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 Sen. Webb,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Senator Webb 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 would make George Bailey proud. We certainly are.”
“The FISA bill would have pushed our privacy rights aside and allowed the telephone companies to trample them, but Senator Webb had the courage to stand up against it. It will be much easier to reach out and touch someone this holiday season knowing the telephone companies will not be let off the hook, and the people of Virginia can be thankful for Senator Webb for that.”
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.
For more information about domestic spying visit www.aclu.org/FISA.
Contact: Kent Willis, 804/644-8022
