WASHINGTON – On Friday, September 12, a broad coalition of organizations from across the political spectrum will hold a press conference to urge presidential candidates and the media to dedicate Wednesday, September 17 – Constitution Day – to constitutional issues. Constitution Day is a day on which citizens, civil society groups, schools and government entities across the country organize events to celebrate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and to promote understanding of its significance and meaning.

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) announced that seventy new organizations from across the United States have joined a June petition calling on Congress to enact sweeping new whistleblower rights for government employees. The groups are calling on Congress to finish the job before adjourning for the upcoming elections. Both chambers have approved legislation to revive the discredited Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), but efforts to reconcile the different versions have stalled.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2007 UPDATED: July 10, 2008

Media Contact: Aaron Titus
(202) 360-4032 ext. 2

aaron@ssnbreach.org

Transpartisan Alliance Seeks Internet Privacy/Security Guarantees; Demands Government and Business “Stand Up and Play Right”

NEWS...
FOR RELEASE: Thursday, May 29, 2008
CONTACT: Michael Ostrolenk
                       National Director

The Tipping Point for Health IT is not about funding or even bureaucracy: it’s about PATIENTS trusting that their most personal information will be protected.

Washington, DC: The bi-partisan Coalition for Patient Privacy is back on the steps of the Capitol urging Congress to restore basic privacy protections; only this year they have doubled their membership and included health IT corporations, big and small. As everyone races to build electronic health records systems without ironclad federal privacy protections, the ACLU, AIDS Action, the American Association for People with Disabilities, American Conservative Union, Family Research Council, Patient Privacy Rights, Consumer Action, Microsoft Corp., Inc. and many more ask Congress to step to the plate and set national privacy standards. Three-fourths of the American public want Congress, not unelected bureaucrats or the whims of the market, to ensure our right to health privacy is protected in electronic systems and yet we still have no Federal statutory right to health privacy.

“The idea that the federal government can comb through the medical records of Americans and label them “mentally defective” is truly chilling,” said Liberty Coalition second amendment policy expert Mike Stollenwerk. “Such labeling is a gross violation of privacy rights and is ripe with potential for abuse.”

The bill, originally introduced by Rep. Brady Wiseman, states that REAL ID Act would be an unfunded federal mandate of over $2.5 billion dollars on Montana taxpayers while creating a serious danger of identity theft due to the collection of citizens personal information in one centralized, federal database. The legislation goes on to state that REAL ID is a violation of the 10th Amendment to the Constitution and the principles of American federalism.

"The FBI has clearly abused its power and violated the constitutional rights of tens of thousands of Americans. These actions must not be tolerated in a free society," said Liberty Coalition national director Michael Ostrolenk. "While enhanced public scrutiny and Congressional oversight are a good first step, they are not enough to protect our Nation's liberty from abusive, unchecked power. Congress must act to stop the issuance of National Security Letters!"