For Immediate Release

December 9, 2005

Contact: Judith Platt
Ph: 202-220-4551
Email: jplatt@publishers.org

Publishers Urged to Voice Opposition Tto Patriot Act Conference Report

The Association of American Publishers is asking its members throughout the country to voice opposition to the Patriot Act reauthorization legislation approved yesterday by Republican conferees in the House and Senate.

In a letter to the heads of member publishing houses, AAP President Pat Schroeder pointed out that “Despite the rhetoric, the modest civil liberties protections for Section 215 searches of library, bookstore and other business records,  that we’ve fought so hard to win, and that were approved by the Senate, have been stripped away.”

Noting that Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has refused to sign the conference report and is calling for a 3-month moratorium and that a bipartisan group of Senators has vowed to fight and to filibuster if necessary,  Mrs. Schroeder asked publishers nationwide to contact Senators who have not already signed the Patriot Act Conference Report* urging them to oppose the Conference Report and to vote “no” on cloture (moves to shut off the Senate debate.) 

“We hope everyone can support that position and influence their own Senators to work with the bipartisan coalition to restore minimal protections against government abuse of secret searches of libraries, bookstores, and businesses,” Mrs. Schroeder said.

The Association of American Publishers is the national  trade organization of the U.S. book publishing industry.  AAP’s members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies.  The defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, is among the Association’s highest priorities.

*Senators who have signed the Conference Report are: Specter (R-PA), Hatch (R-UT), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), Kyl (R-AZ), and DeWine (R-OH).

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