Patriot Act Alert! Update

As you may recall, there had been concern raised in the past days over the votes in Congress to extend certain provisions of the Patriot Act.  As a result, members of the Northern Virginia Civic Coalition arranged to meet Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly's Staff to discuss these concerns, and better understand the Congressman's position on this vote.

 

We are very pleased to say that the meeting, with Chief of Staff James Walkinshaw last week, provided us the chance to clarify the exact circumstances and situation regarding this vote.  

 

Congressman Connolly's Chief emphasized this was only a temporary extension of certain key provisions of the Patriot Act, and not the entire Act itself, which expires in December 2011 and will be voted on in its entirety at that time.   He also stressed that Mr. Connolly's vote on this extension was not intended and should not be considered as any diminution of his appreciation of and support for the concerns of the Muslim community in Virginia.

 

As can be seen in the attached statement from the Congressman's office, the various provisions extended by this vote are intended for the safety and benefit of all Americans, and there are legal safeguards intended to protect the rights of individuals from any undue actions.

 

We are satisfied that Congressman Connolly understands the critical importance of such legislation to our community, and our desire to maintain a comprehensive dialogue with him to input on issues of such key import to the community.    His office agreed to help develop channels of communication so all community members can see and appreciate the steps he is taking to prevent any actions that could be detrimental to the rights and security of our community in Virginia and across the USA.

 

We deeply appreciate the Congressman's efforts, and remain committed to  working with him and his office on every issue of importance to us all.

Attached you will find a copy of the statement from Congressman Gerry Connolly's office regarding the extension of the Patriot Act. 

If you believe that, you may have been profiled due to the Patriot Act, please send me an e-mail hence, I can pass on the information to Congressman Connolly's office.