Kay Bailey Hutchison's Brain-Dead Response As Promised

OK, I posted an open letter to Kay Bailey Hutchison, allegedly my Senator, here on my blog.

The letter was a request to terminate Alberto Gonzales for lying to Congress again. In the letter I mentioned the Patriot Act, and how he knew of abuses and lied to Congress about that very topic.

As predicted, I received a form letter that does not address anything I wrote about. It does address the Patriot Act, a key phrase that was no doubt caught by either software or an intern and prompted a response about that act not about Gonzales.

I have grown to expect this kind of brain-dead response to my letters. I know none of them ever reach her desk, and yet I continue to write. Why?

Because if I stop I will just fall into lock step with the rest of the drones who inhabit our country. The comatose people who stagger through their lives without giving a thought to the leadership they elect. Our alleged leaders count on these sad people. If everyone actually cared enough to find out even a little of what was going on in Washington, there would be a revolution of epic proportions. Washington would look like the scene in Frankenstein where the villagers storm the castle with pitchforks and torches!

Well I am fresh out of torches and pitchforks, so I write and vote and try to influence other people to do the same. It may be futile, but pitchforks are no match for whatever resources our elected leaders have at their disposal. Besides, I still think the ballot box has some power.

For all those of you who got this far in my rant, here is your reward, a copy of the brain-dead letter from Senator Hutchison.

Read it and weep!

_____________________________________________

Dear Mr. Haberman:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the USA PATRIOT Reauthorization Act. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, the U.S. Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, comprehensive legislation granting law enforcement agencies enhanced surveillance abilities and providing for severe penalties for those involved in terrorist activities. This measure was passed with bi-partisan support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law on October 26, 2001, by President Bush.

On December 9, 2005, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives reported the conference report to accompany H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act. Among other provisions, the conference report for H.R. 3199 makes permanent fourteen of the sixteen USA PATRIOT Act sections that were scheduled to expire at the end of 2005. It provides for greater congressional and judicial oversight of orders for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) business records and FISA roving wiretaps, requiring both to sunset at the end of 2009. It expands law enforcement wiretap authority to cover more than twenty federal crimes. In addition, the conference report establishes judicial review and enforcement procedures for national security letters and revises federal criminal provisions relating to seaport and maritime security. This legislation reinforces federal money laundering and forfeiture authority, particularly in connection with terrorist offenses; it intensifies federal regulation of foreign and domestic commerce in methamphetamine precursors; and it makes substantial modifications in federal capital punishment procedures.

On February 10, 2006, S. 2271, the USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act, was introduced by Senator John Sununu (R-NH). S. 2271 modifies "Section 215 subpoenas," granted by the FISA Court, so that recipients would have the explicit right to challenge the subpoenas' nondisclosure requirements. In addition, this bill clarifies that libraries functioning in their traditional capacity are no longer subject to National Security Letters, which are subpoenas for financial and electronic records that do not require a judge's approval.

After thorough consideration, H.R. 3199 and the additional provisions under S. 2271 were approved by the full Congress, and on March 9, 2006, President Bush signed both pieces of legislation into law. I supported the passage of the USA PATRIOT Reauthorization Act, because it provides law enforcement officials with the means to detect and prevent acts of terrorism while at the same time preserving the civil liberties of all Americans.

I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison