Keating, Lynch and Tsongas vote to extend Patriot Act

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives had a fast-tracked vote on whether to renew several troubling provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.  The law has increased the government’s ability to spy on us without increasing oversight to make sure the FBI and other agencies are not abusing these powers.  The fast-track vote required a two thirds vote and, thankfully, failed.  Most of the Massachusetts delegation voted against the bill, but Representatives Keating, Lynch and Tsongas voted in favor of the bill.

Please contact your Representatives to thank them for voting against the bill, or Keating, Lynch and Tsongas to tell them that they should stand up for the privacy of all Americans and against government surveillance in the next vote which is expected shortly. You can email them (the EFF has convenient webpage to do this) or call them at the numbers listed below:

• 1st Congressional District – John Olver – (202) 225-5335 / (413) 532-7010
• 2nd Congressional District – Richard Neal – (202) 225-5601 / (413) 785-0325
• 3rd Congressional District – James McGovern – (202) 225-6101 / (508) 831-7356
• 4th Congressional District – Barney Frank – (202) 225-5931
• 5th Congressional District – Niki Tsongas – (202) 225-3411 / (978) 459-0101
• 6th Congressional District – Jonathan Tierney – (202) 225-8020 / (781) 595-7375
• 7th Congressional District – Ed Markey – (202) 225-2836 / (508) 875-2900
• 8th Congressional District – Michael Capuano – (202) 225-5111 / (617) 621-6208
• 9th Congressional District – Stephen Lynch – (202) 225-8273 / (617) 428-2000
• 10th Congressional District – William Keating – (202) 225-3111 / (617) 770-3700

To find out who your representative is, please visit Where Do I Vote MA and enter your address.

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