ACU and Bob Barr Endorse Senator Murkowski's Privacy Preservation Bill

The Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act calls for additional judicial review in America's fight against terrorists

Friday, August 1, 2003

ALEXANDRIA, VA - The American Conservative Union and former Congressman Bob Barr, who currently serves as the chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation's 21st Century Privacy and Freedom Center, offered their collective support for Senator Lisa Murkowski's, R-Ak., Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act. Sen. Murkowski's bill sets a higher standard of judicial review for courts to have a more involved role in determining whether government-requested surveillance or search orders are warranted.

The Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act calls for an expansion of the judicial branch's discretion in granting orders for activities such as search and seizure, or electronic surveillance, and provides a more specific definition of "domestic terrorism."

"Senator Murkowski has crafted a sound piece of legislation that appropriately modifies the definition of domestic terrorism to include only those individuals who violate terrorism-related laws," said Barr. "Her bill would also require a court order to approve electronic surveillance and would ensure that surveillance records would only be kept if approved by a court order. It is also important to note that this bill would not repeal any portion of the USA PATRIOT Act."

"By introducing an additional -- and much-needed -- layer of judicial review to America's fight against terrorism," continued Barr, "Sen. Murkowski is leading the charge in the U.S. Senate to create sound public policy that will assist law enforcement and simultaneously preserve the privacy and civil liberties of law-abiding Americans."

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