Marcy Winograd Stands Against Patriot Act Renewal
During her time in the U.S. Congress, Jane Harman had a troubled relationship with the surveillance programs of the federal government. Harman voted in favor of the Patriot Act, and then voted twice in favor of extending the Patriot Act without any reform of its unconstitutional and oft-abused search and seizure provisions. When Harman discovered that the Executive Branch was engaged in wiretapping surveillance against her own telephone, however, she became furious and protested against the violation of her own constitutional rights.
Jane Harman is retired from the House of Representatives now, and so her record regarding the Patriot Act is no longer a current issue. What remains of current importance, however, is that the Patriot Act is scheduled to be extended, without reform, by Congress once again. The person who replaces Harman as representative of California’s 36th congressional district will have a say in whether that Patriot Act extension is passed.
Marcy Winograd, a Democratic candidate for the seat, has made her position on the renewal of the Patriot Act’s most abusive powers clear. She opposes the Patriot Act extension, and has pledged to support a full repeal of the Patriot Act. Winograd states,
“Like most Americans, I want our nation to be safe and secure from terrorist attack. The best way to strengthen our security is not through a Patriot Act and its attendant assaults on our civil liberties, but through the development of global good-will and shared prosperity. This means ending wars and occupations that recruit terrorists, supporting democracy movements abroad, and revising trade policies that undermine local economies. I oppose extension of the Patriot Act, with its roving wiretaps and library raids, because it legalizes invasions of privacy and inhibits freedoms which our nation’s founding fathers wrote into our Bill of Rights. From its inception, under the Bush White House, the Patriot Act has threatened fundamental American values of freedom and privacy. In Congress, I will vote to repeal the Patriot Act and affirm the freedoms we treasure.”
This Saturday, Americans who agree with Marcy Winograd will have a chance to make their opinions known. There will be a protest against the Patriot Act, at noon, outside the U.S. Capitol Building. The protest will, like Winograd, call for the repeal of the Patriot Act. Be there, if you can, and help spread the word about the protest if you can’t.
Go Marcy, tell it like it is. The Patriot Act has cost out nation far more than the alleged security it has provided.
You’re right, Sylvia. Will you be at the protest against the Patriot Act in Washington D.C. on Saturday?
The “Patriot Act” brought us close to tyranny. I too unequivocally demand repeal. It’s just another reason why I support Marcy Winograd’s campaign for Congress. We need her fearlessness as today’s (March 10, 2011) House Homeland Security Committee hearing chaired by Rep. Peter King stirs up another wave of anti-Muslim bigotry.
Fully support Ms. Winograd. Live in the district, and am President of my HOA. Would like to hold a fundraiser for her. However we have been unable to reach her, or find a telephone number.