July 3, 2001
Coalition for Constitutional Liberties
Letter to House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey
Regarding Privacy
A project of the Free Congress Foundation’s Center for Technology Policy
717 Second Street NE * Washington, DC 20002 * (202) 546-3000 * Fax (202) 543-5605
The Honorable Richard K. Armey
Office of the Majority Leader
U.S. Capitol H327A
Washington, D.C. 20515
July 3, 2001
Dear Mr. Armey:
Thank you for your continued leadership and example on protecting the personal privacy of Americans. As members of organizations committed to protecting privacy, we support your efforts to ensure that our Constitutional rights and liberties are protected.
As you know, many federal government policies are fraught with privacy abuses. We commend your leadership on these issues such as Carnivore (DSC1000), FIDNet, Know Your Customer, thermal imaging, surveillance cameras, civil asset forfeiture, etc. The following organizations support your efforts in continuing to expose and resolve some of these government abuses of privacy. The recent decision from the Supreme Court regarding the use of thermal imaging plays a vital role in the equation, as privacy may be violated in the name of the drug war.
Too often government record-keeping requirements can contribute, directly or indirectly, to private sector abuses of Americans’ privacy. These privacy abuses need to be closely watched because of the negative ramifications they have on the personal lives of our fellow Americans. We appreciate your leadership to establish limitations on government’s access to personal health records and your opposition to the unique patient identifier. These issues illustrate some of the problems with the intersection of government and private sector privacy violations.
As we approach our celebrations for our nation’s Independence, we are reminded of our country’s leaders who fight to defend our rights. This fight is a noble one, and we recognize your leadership in this never-ending struggle. With changes in technology affecting our lives at such a rapid pace, we are pleased to have someone who understands its potential problems and is willing to take a stand to address them to the protection of our Constitutional liberties.
If you would like to work together on issues of shared concern, please do not hesitate to contact J. Bradley Jansen at the Free Congress Foundation at 202-204-5324.
Respectfully,
Paul M. Weyrich
National Chairman
Coalition for America
Chris Hoofnagle
Legislative Counsel
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Lisa S. Dean
Vice President for Technology Policy
Free Congress Foundation
Congressman Bob Schaffer
Fourth District of Colorado
U.S. House of Representatives
Jim Harper
Editor
Privacilla.org
Evan Hendricks
Editor/Publisher
Privacy Times
Kent Lassman
Director, Technology and Communications Policy
Citizens for a Sound Economy
Twila Brase, RN, PHN
President
Citizens’ Council on Health Care
Christian Josi
Executive Director
American Conservative Union
Thomas DeWeese
President
American Policy Center
Michael D. Ostrolenk
Capital Hill Liaison
Republican Liberty Caucus
Chuck Muth
Chairman
Republican Liberty Caucus
Gregory Quinlan
Chairman
Pro-Family Network
Joe Eldred
Founder and Chairman
God Bless America
Erik Johnson
Chairman
Young Americans for Freedom
True Nightengale
President
Operation America
Mrs. Donna Kromer
Executive Director
Taking America Back Ministries
Dwight Patel
Director
Coalition for a Tax-free Internet
Phyllis Schlafly
Founder & President
Eagle Forum
Katherine Albrecht
CASPIAN – Consumers Against Privacy Invasion and Numbering
Edward A. Mallett
President
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Dr. Jane Orient, MD
Executive Director
Association of American Physicians & Surgeons
Richard W. Rahn
Senior Fellow
Discovery Institute
Coralee Whitcomb
President
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch
Director
Concerned Christian Americans
James Landrith
Editor & Publisher
The Multiracial Activist and The Abolitionist Examiner
Hank Whitmore
Chairman
People Against Church Taxation (PACT)
Andrew F. Quinlan
President
Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Sonia Arrison
Director
Center for Freedom and Technology
Pacific Research Institute
Paul Haughton
President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Cliff Kincaid
President
America’s Survival, Inc.
James Cox
Executive Director
Association of Concerned Taxpayers
George C. Landrith
Executive Director
Frontiers of Freedom
Senator Malcolm Wallop (ret.)
Chairman
Frontiers of Freedom
Evelyn Bradley
Administrator
Congress for American Principles
Adrian Day
President
Global Strategic Management
William Riley
Director
NW Council of Governments
Karen Kerrigan
Chairman
Small Business Survival Committee
Jim Lilley
Director of Development
Baptist International Missions, Inc.
Michael H Jones
Chairman
Voice Of The Elephant Political Awareness Committee (VOTEPAC)
William Haygood Shaker
President
American Council for Health Care Reform
CEO
Washington Marketing Group
C. Preston Noell, III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
Ed Leckey
CEO
Eagle Eye Consulting Corp.
Amy Ridenour
President
The National Center for Public Policy Research
Jim Boulet, Jr.
Executive Director
English First
Dani Hansen
Idaho Eagle Forum
Dottie Feder
Vice President
Eagle Forum of Wisconsin
Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum of Alabama
Dot Ward
President
Eagle Forum of Mississippi
Helen Blackwell
Chairman
Virginia Eagle Forum
Janine Hansen
President
Nevada Eagle Forum
Bobbie Patray
President
Tennessee Eagle Forum
Cathie Adams
President
Texas Eagle Forum
Carolee Adams
State President
Eagle Forum of New Jersey
Patricia A. Bradburn
President
Virginians for Property Rights
Aaron Starr, CPA
Chairman
Libertarian Party of California
Eddie Spraggs
Chairman
Jackson Purchase Republicans
Christopher Whalen
The Whalen Consulting Group
New York
Ken McEldowney
Executive Director
Consumer Action
Miriam Archer
Director of Operations
Christian Coalition of CA
Paul A. Volle
Executive Director
Christian Coalition of Maine
Mrs. Sandra Bowman
Executive Director
Kentucky Christian Coalition
Rev. Walter H. Leake
Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition
New Bern, North Carolina
Andrea Lafferty
Exective Director
Traditional Values Coalition
Terrye Seckinger
Vice Chairman
South Carolina Baptist for Life
Joey Davis
State Director
Concerned Women for America of Missouri
Gail Johnson
Area Director
Concerned Women for America
of California- Los Angeles/ San Bernardino/
Riverside/ Orange/ Ventura Counties
Lloyd and Margaret Kaempf
Concerned Citizens
Alabama
Lowell T Patterson
State Chairman
Constitution Party of NJ
Patricia J. Owens
Wisconsin State Sovereignty Coalition
Julie Dillenburg
Commonwealth Education Organization
Kathryn A. Serkes
President
Square One Media Network
Duane Royal
Treasurer
Sampson County NC Republican Party
Joel and Janine Hansen
Nevada Families Education Foundation
Galen E. Alexander
Founder & Chairman
Ohio Conservative Alliance
Rudy Kantu
Klahanie Area Chairman
Fifth Legislative District GOP
Issaquah, Washington
Thomas and Jean Kresal
Birch Street Baptist Church
Wisconsin
Kathy Parker
Kathy Parker & Associates, Inc.
Bretigne Shaffer
Filmmaker
Tabula Rosa Productions
Helen E. Farson
Phonetic Bible Printing Committee
Dale Robertson
Chief Warrant Officer (Aviation)
United States Army Reserve
Rev. Larry Marshall
Chaplain
Hermitage in Northern Virginia
Mike Fellows
Chair
Libertarian Party of Montana
Joel Hansen
State Chairman
Independent American Party of Nevada