H.R. 6407, the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act" was signed by President Bush on December 20, 2006 primarily to improve the quality of the Postal Service and strengthen the free market for delivery services.
The executive branch shall construe subsection 404(c) of title 39, as enacted by subsection 1010(e) of the Act, which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection, in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.
The law requires government agents to get warrants to open first-class letters, however in signing the postal reform act, Bush added a statement saying his administration would construe that "in a matter of consistent , to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances."
"The signing statement raises serious questions whether he is authorizing opening of mail contrary to the Constitution and to laws enacted by Congress," said Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. "What is the purpose of the signing statement if it isn't that?" -- the Baltimore Sun--
White House press secretary Tony Snow said that there was nothing new in the signing statement. " All this is saying is that there are provisions at law for - in exigent circumstances - for such inspections. It has been thus. This is not a change in law, this is not new."
4 comments:
Exigency is nothing more than urgency. So who gets to decide what an urgent situation is? White powder, maybe, but what about a love letter that has 'you're the bomb' written on the envelope or a get well card that has stickers on the envelope that say 'Free Darfur'? They already have the power to open 'suspect' mail what else do they need? This is a bad move!
The question that comes to mind is how much freedom are we willing to give up for the "illusion" of feeling safe?
I think that there was a movie about 10 years ago that talked about a secured society.
simmular to THX1138
I think this is overblown. The USPS handles, what, a 100 billion pieces of mail a year? They don't give a crap about yours. They aren't going to open your birthday card and steal the $20 from Grandma.
No, this is just another example of the anti-war, anti-Bush, pro-terrorist, fifth-column left trying to gin up anger over nothing -- and freedom-loving conservatives are biting hook, line, and sinker.
Meanwhile, conservatives who say they cherish all their freedoms so much stayed at home and let the left vote into power a bunch of idiots who think the Second Amendment only means that the federal government has the right to own guns...
What is it going to take for some of you to realize that this administration is the real definition of "terror"? Attacks on civil liberties, illegal phone taps, the unprecedented power grabs and contempt for the constitution and the looting of the treasury, open borders and the hidden deals signed to form the North American Union, etc. etc.
Please Gully, I may be a slow learner but after voting for Bush twice I looked at the destruction this admin. has caused to the U.S. and the blatant disreguard for the citizens of this country and I can come to no other conclusion but this admin. must be exposed and held accountable for the abuses they have inflicted upon us all. Let me know when they insist on registering all your weapons how that small inconvience is overblown rhetoric.
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