ConnecticuT Vaccine Information Alliance

In spite of the good intentions of our Congress and President to make government work more efficiently and effectively in protecting the lives and property of the citizens of this great

nation, The Homeland Security Bill, passed by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday 11/13 and about to be voted on in the US Senate on Tuesday, 11/19, is a dangerous expansion of federal

power.

At this time, we understand that NO NEW AMENDMENTS may be proposed on the Homeland Security Bill HR 5710, so fixing the current bill is not an option. Even though the pending Lieberman/Daschle amendment, which we have NO guarantee will even pass on Monday,

does strike the offensive sections that remove pharmaceutical industry liability for mercury induced vaccine injuries and deaths (Sec. 1714-1717), there are still many serious outstanding concerns.

For example, the bill gives the authority to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to call for UNIVERAL SMALLPOX VACCINATION, absent of informed consent, and other broad smallpox

interventions with no medical, religious, or conscientious exemptions (Sec. 304). The bill removes all liability from the pharmaceutical industry and health officials for the injuries and deaths which result from the vaccine. (Sec. 304) There are no guarantees that if quarantines are ordered in a declared emergency that they will be humane or that parents will even be able to stay with their children. In addition, the bill gives the U.S. government unchecked unprecedented surveillance power to track the

e-mail, Internet use, travel, credit-card purchases, phone and bank records on law abiding U.S. citizens on a mere suspicion without a search warrant. (Title II INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND

INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION) There are numerous other concerns being vocalized by privacy, civil liberty, and open government consumer advocates (Newspaper Reports on Homeland Security at http://www.ctvia.org/index.cfm?folder=175&open=0&).

What has generated the most concern, by far, has been the manner in which these provisions were included in the bill. The bill was posted for the first time at 5:17 a.m. Wednesday morning with a

House vote only hours later that day making it virtually impossible for members of Congress or the public to read and analyze the whopping 484 pages. According to Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, the initial version of the bill was only 32 pages! There had not been a single hearing or debate on all the other language slipped into the bill. This is not the way that any legislation should be passed, never mind the creation of what Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia classified as the third largest federal

agency with an initial 38 Billion dollar annual budget.

While people want improvements in safety and security from terrorism, they don't want and they don't deserve to suffer from the unintended consequences of a bureaucracy hastily patched together in the dark of the night.

Members of Congress need to wait and pass a workable bill that also protects our liberties when they return in January and the sun is shining!

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO:

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1. YOUR 2 U.S. SENATORS - CALL, EMAIL AND FAX TO VOTE NO ON THIS

HOMELAND SECURITY BILL (even if you've done it before volume counts)

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* CALL THIS WEEKEND and leave messages - MANY TIMES -

one message from each member of your family

* CALL IN PERSON MONDAY 11/18 - start early - one call

for each member of your family

* EMAIL AND FAX LETTERS from each family member

TELL THEM

- THE REASONS YOU DON'T LIKE THIS BILL

- YOU WOULD RATHER WAIT UNTIL JANUARY when a bill can

be passed that also protects our liberties

DO NOT WAIT

The Senate will vote sometime on MONDAY!

Senate contact information can be obtained by linking to

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Then click on your senator's name to go to their web site.

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2. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH - EMAIL, CALL and FAX

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* EMAIL LETTERS from each family member to

president@whitehouse.gov

* CALL Whitehouse Comment Line at 202-456-1111

(9-5 EST M-F)

* FAX LETTERS from each family member to 202-456-2461

TELL THE PRESIDENT

- THE REASONS YOU DON'T WANT HIM TO SIGN THIS BILL

- YOU WOULD RATHER WAIT UNTIL JANUARY when a bill can

be passed that also protects our liberties as well as

our security.

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3. YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE - CALL, EMAIL AND FAX TO VOTE NO ON

HOME LAND SECURITY BILL IF SENATE AMENDS IT

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Unfortunately, the House of Representatives already passed HR 5710 on Wednesday 11/13 even though they couldn't have possibly even read all 484 pages in just hours. The Senate will vote on an

amendment on Monday that addresses only a handful of concerns still leaving a horrible piece of legislation for the American people. Even though they already voted, there are 3 reasons you

need to contact your Representative.

(a) If the Senate votes positively on the Amendment and then passes the bill, the bill will go back to the House and your Representative needs to know the bill is not okay.

(b) If the Senate votes no on the pending amendment, the bill is passed and goes on to the President

to sign. Your representatives need to be educated about the problems so they can amend it in January.

acceptable to the American People.

* CALL THIS WEEKEND and leave messages - MANY TIMES -

one message from each member of your family

* CALL IN PERSON MONDAY 11/18 - start early - one call

for each member of your family

* EMAIL AND FAX LETTERS from each family member

TELL THEM

- YOU ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED AND UPSET over the way

this bill was shoved through and passed with no

hearings, no debate, and no reasonable opportunity

for review.

- TO VOTE NO if it comes back from the Senate amended

- THE REASONS YOU DON'T LIKE THIS BILL

- YOU WOULD RATHER WAIT UNTIL JANUARY when a bill can

be passed that also protects our liberties.

To identify your U.S. Representative and send an email note, link to http://www.house.gov/writerep/

To obtain phone and fax numbers, link to http://www.house.gov/http://vaccineinfo.net/

If you received this message from a friend or family member and would like to get direct email updates please visit http://www.ctvia.org and click on the left of the screen for "Sign up for free Email Updates".

Thank you for your participation.