On the Agenda: Week of July 23-27

Here are a few highlights of our work for the upcoming week.

This week, for the first time since 1990, the International AIDS Conference will be held in Washington, DC. A long-standing HIV travel and immigration ban, which was ended in 2010, allowed the conference to be held here. Patrick DePoy has more here.

We’ll also be watching the Senate carefully as it will take up cybersecurity this week. Check out a blog by Michelle Richardson to see where we stand on the new bill.

Tuesday, July 24

First Amendment: The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled "Taking Back Our Democracy: Responding to Citizens United and the Rise of Super PACs." The ACLU will submit a statement for the record.

Wednesday, July 25

FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization: The Cato Institute is hosting an event titled “The Surveillance Iceberg: The FISA Amendments Act and Mass Spying without Accountability.” The ACLU’s Michelle Richardson, will speak on a panel on the FISA Amendments Act, along with Eric Lichtblau, Washington Bureau Reporter of the New York Times. Julian Sanchez, Research Fellow, Cato Institute, will moderate the panel. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will be the keynote speaker at the event. It will be live-streamed here.

Thursday, July 26

Department of Justice Oversight: The Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

Disability Rights: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will mark up and vote on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We’ll be monitoring.

Friday, July 27

Democratic Party Platform: The ACLU’s Washington Office Chief of Staff Wes Macleod-Ball will testify before the Democratic Party 2012 Platform Drafting Committee in Minneapolis. We’ll also submit a written statement.