Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. form letter to constituent, 2002

FIELD(letterdate) FIELD(nameline) FIELD(title) FIELD(organization 1 ) FIELD(organization2) FIELD(addressl) FIELD(address2) FIELD(address3) FIELD(address4) IFNOTBLANK(city)FIELD(city), FIELD(state) FIELD(zip9)ENDIF Dear FIELD(salutation2b): Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 2975, the U.S.A. Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act. I appreciate hearing from you. The cold-blooded attacks of September 1 llh have left more than 1 1,000 dead, missing, and wounded; nearly 1 5,000 children have lost one or both parents. America, now recovering from this vicious assault, has been plunged into a two front war — at home and abroad. Many Americans are concerned that President George W. Bush and the Department of Justice do not have the tools and resources necessary to disrupt, weaken, and eliminate the infrastructure of terrorist organizations; prevent future terrorist attacks; and punish perpetrators of terrorist acts. Security experts note that the current information structure is ill-prepared to defend against information warfare, cyberterrorism, and terrorism and highlight the very real consequences if those that conduct these acts are not stopped. Conversely, others raise concerns regarding the erosion of civil liberties, the loss of privacy and equal application of the law to Americans as well as foreign national residents and visitors. Last year, Congress voted overwhelmingly to approve H.R. 2975, Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law (P.L. 107-56) on October 26, 2001. This law enhances government surveillance of wire and electronic communication, harshens the penalties for those convicted of terrorism offenses, and provides many other useful tools for the intelligence community in apprehending known terrorists and stopping terrorist activities. My colleagues and I have worked diligently to strike the appropriate balance between counter-terrorism policies which are effective and respecting the constitutional freedoms which are the foundation of America's strength. Some Americans have raised concerns that the PATRIOT Act will result in the loss of civil liberties, the diminution of privacy, and is