Yesterday, I contacted Rep. David Schweikert to voice my opposition to HR3523, aka CISPA.
I confess I was pessimistic about his position on this matter, as he tends to vote along tea-party lines, and opposing CISPA is more of a libertarian (small L) position.
I received an email from Schweikert overnight, and to my surprise and satisfaction, he is opposed to this bill. Here is the text of his canned response.
April 26, 2012
Dear Richard,
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 3523, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). I share your concerns over this legislation and am adamantly opposed to it.
Over the last twenty years, the Internet has been one of the most productive and prosperous sectors of our economy, creating countless jobs and contributing over $3.9 trillion to our gross domestic product in 2011. I firmly believe that the explosion of economic activity in this sector is directly related to the free enterprise system and limited government intrusion.
CISPA develops a system in which private companies and the federal intelligence community gather and share information on cyber threats. I have serious concerns that allowing organizations to track, compile, and share our private information and Internet activity will lead to infringements of our civil liberties and Constitutional rights.
Further, this legislation provides little oversight on how private companies handle the data they collect and only regulates how that information is provided to the government. Worse yet, once the government has our private data, this bill does not limit how it is used, except to say that it cannot be used to impose new regulations.
It is for these reasons that I am opposed to CISPA. Any legislative action that addresses cyber security must be narrowly defined and ensure that our right to privacy and Fourth Amendment rights are protected. While serving in Congress, I will fight tirelessly to ensure that the President and Congress act within their Constitutional limits and that our rights are secured.
I am greatly honored to serve you in Congress and look forward to future correspondence with you. Please contact me if you have future questions or concerns that I may assist you with.
Sincerely,
David Schweikert
Member of Congress