[JURIST] A broad coalition of 68 groups ranging across the American political spectrum sent a collective letter Monday to members of Congress expressing their opposition to the Domestic Security Enhancement Act, a proposed follow-up to the USA PATRIOT Act revealed in confidential Justice Department documents on February 7 [JURIST report]. "The draft bill," asserts the letter,

contains a multitude of new and sweeping law enforcement and intelligence gathering powers, many of which are not related to terrorism, that would severely dilute, if not undermine, many basic constitutional rights, as well as disturb our unique system of checks and balances. If adopted, the bill would diminish personal privacy by removing important checks on government surveillance authority, reduce the accountability of government to the public by increasing government secrecy, expand the definition of ?terrorism? in a manner that threatens the constitutionally protected rights of Americans, and seriously erode the right of all persons to due process of law.