Posted on 05/21/2015 12:55:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
With a call for “open rebellion” against the program, Senator Rand Paul (shown, R-Ky.) held the Senate floor for ten-and-a-half hours Wednesday in opposition to extending provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that allow the National Security Agency to collect billions of telephone records and and electronic messages every day.
"We should be in open rebellion, saying, 'enough is enough, we're not going to take it anymore,'" Paul said of the NSA’s “metadata” program. Calling for “a thorough and complete debate,” the first-term senator asked: "Do we want to live in a world where the government knows everything about us? Do we want to live in a word where the government has us under constant surveillance?"
The PATRIOT Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Section 215, which authorizes the surveillance activities, is due to expire on June 1, unless reauthorized by Congress. A Justice Department memo, circulated among members of Congress Wednesday, said unless Congress renews the authority or a modified version of it, the NSA will begin “taking steps to wind down” bulk collection of data as early as this Friday.
“In the event of a lapse in authority and subsequent reauthorization, there will necessarily be some time needed to restart the program,” the memo said. The House last week passed the USA Freedom Act that amends the law by ending the authority for the bulk collections and giving intelligence agencies access to telephone and other records only when a court finds there is reasonable suspicion about a specific link to international terrorism.
"One [court] order would no longer authorize a bulk collection program, whether for telephone metadata or for other purposes," Georgia Institute of technology professor Peter Swire told the Christian Science Monitor. Swire served on a review commission appointed by President Barack Obama after the program was exposed by Edward Snowden, an intelligence analyst with an NSA contractor. The bulk collections are “not essential to preventing attacks” and information needed to disrupt terrorist plots “could readily have been obtained in a timely manner using conventional” court orders, the president’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology said in a December 2013 report. The group was one of two independent panels that studied the program and concluded that it had not stopped terrorist plots.
Paul argued Wednesday that the Freedom Act still left the government with inordinate surveillance power, citing the liability protection it provides telephone companies as evidence that the program will continue to invade the privacy of citizens’ communications.
"One question I would ask, if there was anybody that would actually tell you the answer, would be: If we already gave them liability protection under the Patriot Act, why are they getting it again under the USA Freedom Act unless we're asking them to do something new that they didn't have permission for?" Paul asked. “If you think bulk collection is wrong, why do they need new authorities? Why are we giving them some new authorities?"
President Obama has said he supports the House bill and would sign it into law. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other leading Republicans want an extension of the program as currently authorized. Paul’s filibuster might be considered a pre-emptive strike against the Senate measure since it has not yet come to the floor. Given the Senate’s long and involved parliamentary process, it appears the extension will not be passed before the House goes on recess Thursday and it seems even less likely that the Senate will stay in session over the Memorial Day weekend to pass the House bill. The increasing likelihood that the authorization will expire before Congress acts has some in Washington worried that the nation’s security will be compromised. Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.) accused Paul of "doing a disservice to the country” by putting national security at risk.
"He's unnecessarily frightening the American people," said King, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in an interview with Newsmax.com. "He's making the [National Security Agency] out to be the enemy. In fact, the enemy is al-Qaida, ISIS, and Islamist terrorism, and the NSA is the key weapon that the United States has in the war against al-Qaida," King said. "The NSA does not listen to anyone's phone calls and does not read anyone's emails. There have been no abuses found against the NSA.”
The argument that no abuses have been found rings hollow as a defense of a program that is conducted in and guarded with the strictest of secrecy and became known to the American people only through Edward Snowden’s illegal disclosures. Even senators and representatives serving on committees with alleged oversight of the program can’t say what they know about it. And while the NSA may or may not be listening to phone calls, the agency is gathering the e-mails of millions of Americans, along with records of all their phone calls, without probable cause for suspicion that they are involved in or are plotting illegal activities. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated and no Warrant shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized.
Senator Paul, who has declared his candidacy for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination, promised, in an e-mail to campaign contributors, to filibuster against the program. "I will not rest," he said in the fundraising e-mail. "I will not back down. I will not yield one inch in this fight so long as my legs can stand."
Paul started speaking at 1:18 p.m. and quit at 11:49, yielding at various points to colleagues including two Republicans — Mike Lee of Utah and Steve Daines of Montana — and seven Democrats: Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Maria Cantwell of Washington, Chris Coons of Delaware, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Joseph Manchin of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, one of Paul’s competitors for the Republican nomination, had promised to join the talk-a-thon, but was instead called to preside over the nearly empty Senate chamber.
The National Journal noted a strong connection between Paul’s senate oration and his presidential campaign fundraising, citing a message from the senator’s Twitter account alerting readers to a “Filibuster Starter Pack,” available for purchase at Paul’s online campaign store. The kit costs $30 and includes a t-shirt with the message: “The NSA knows I bought this Rand Paul t-shirt,” a bumper sticker with a similar message and a “Spy blocker” for computers.
“There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer," Paul said Wednesday at the opening of his remarks. "That time is now, and I will not let the PATRIOT Act, the most unpatriotic of acts, go unchallenged."
Since this bill does nothing but target innocent American citizens and ignores terrorists, I don't see how the security we DO NOT now have can be compromised.
Mr King doesn't realize that crapping all over the Constitution is what is really damaging our national security. Moron.
If King from New York is for the NSA data collection, it MUST be wrong.
He is the RINOiest of the RINOs.
They already can just buy it from Google.
Do Americans truly believe that the agencies tasked with the huge job of preventing another terrorist attack on this country really spend their time siftng through the average citizen’s emails and phone calls? I’d be glad to give them mine if they need something for insomnia.
Seriously, I think we are in more danger from hackers than intelligence gathering agencies. Every detail of our lives is on some kind of data base, our medical records, banking records, phone calls, google searches, and emails. If we’re worried about Privacy, that ship has sailed with the advent of the computer age.
“Do Americans truly believe that the agencies tasked with the huge job of preventing another terrorist attack on this country really spend their time siftng through the average citizen’s emails and phone calls? I’d be glad to give them mine if they need something for insomnia.”
You are a fool. They collect it all. They will use it against you as soon as they want to. Any comment you made, any site you visited any number you called over decades will be available for them to infer charges against you and make a one-sided case against you. It will be used anytime you are deemed an enemy of the state to fabricate a case for your crimes.
“Seriously, I think we are in more danger from hackers than intelligence gathering agencies.”
Intelligence agencies are now the most egregious hackers. Are you reading and paying attention?
Do you have curtains in your home? Why? Do you have something to hide?
Any violation of being secure in our persons and property is a strike against our Constitution.
That is just a start.
[ Do Americans truly believe that the agencies tasked with the huge job of preventing another terrorist attack on this country really spend their time siftng through the average citizen’s emails and phone calls? I’d be glad to give them mine if they need something for insomnia.
Seriously, I think we are in more danger from hackers than intelligence gathering agencies. Every detail of our lives is on some kind of data base, our medical records, banking records, phone calls, google searches, and emails. If we’re worried about Privacy, that ship has sailed with the advent of the computer age. ]
That all depends on whom in government you have/have not pissed off and what groups you are a member of, who have or have not pissed off the wrong people in government, see: tea party groups, see: IRS, see: Lois Lerner
Do you personally know anyone who has been charged with a crime from information gathered under the Patriot Act? If so, did they commit a crime?
We all know someone who has been the target of hackers stealing credit card info. Most of us have been victims ourselves.
I support the USA Freedom Act as a replacement to the Patriot Act, BTW.
Here’s the thing. The targeting of Tea Party Conservatives didn’t have anything to do with the NSA or any agency operating under the Patriot Act. That was politically motivated by this corrupt administration.
Ah yes, the classic “I have nothing to hide” mindset.
Sure, you’re not interesting to them.
Until they decide a “terrorist” includes indicators YOU exhibit: conservative, frequent right-wing websites (FR), whatever descriptors tend to pigeonhole you for what you consider yourself as. Then, suddenly, they’ve got this 10+ year dossier on you exhibiting assorted anti-government anti-whatever pro-extremist characteristics, at which point they...well...take a look at history and see what happens to “normal” people who suddenly are disfavored by those in power.
Remember when being Christian/pro-life/straight-marriage/self-sufficient/patriotic/etc was the epitome of upstanding citizenship? now seems it’s code words for “them” heading toward grounds for incarceration & re-education.
Sure, lots of your information is well-known and well-recorded. Our government should, pursuant to facilitating the 4th Amendment, be encouraging those businesses to keep that information well-encrypted and unavailable to unwarranted search.
There’s also “chilling effects”.
A lot of people don’t say certain things on phone calls - harmless in fact, but easily misconstrued by those searching for keyword combinations.
Sorry, I’m just not that paranoid. I have yet for one person to cite a case of anyone they know who has been targeted by information gathered by intelligence agencies.
Corrupt politicians are another matter: The recent IRS politically motivated targeting of the Tea Party. Remember File Gate when HIllary ordered the stacks and stacks of FBI files to be brought to the White House?
As for evidence of my being Christian, prolife, straight, self-suffcient, patriotic etc., I intend to make sure there is enough evidence to make That case and I have no intention of living my life in fear while I do it.
I'm pretty sure phone calls, email, internet action taken in this house isn't studied/targeted since a family member works there looking for terrorists. We're just old family members with one of us having worked at the Pentagon years ago. There is no doubt we are true Americans so they wouldn't waste their time on us.
That said, I'd like to see that searching of emails, listening to phone calls and searching for words you say on the internet, go away. They don't have the right to do any of that. They are supposed to get a judge's order to do that but I've read they have special judges set aside to quickly issue the order. I read somewhere they seldom get turned down by these secret judges.
Obama and his Homeland Security is another matter. I'm sure I'm on their list of possible prepper domestic terrorists since I have written so much about prepping on another website. I say nuts to you, Homeland Security.
I do know, some way, every Republican candidate or those considering running, stuff my email box and I didn't knowingly, give any of them but Cruz access to my email. I would bet many of you are also on their lists, too, and you don't know, either, how they got it.
I think the only way I can be free of all this, is lock my door and stay off the internet including stopping emailing and never make a phone call. That's a crummy option and I'm not doing it.
“I’m pretty sure phone calls, email, internet action taken in this house isn’t studied/targeted since a family member works there looking for terrorists.”
Have you ever considered that this may make your information more likely to be prioritized?
After several whistle-blowers from within, I suspect this is the case.
Of course, for all their efforts violating the Constitution, they didn’t even head off the attack on their own headquarters earlier this year...
“Do you personally know anyone who has been charged with a crime from information gathered under the Patriot Act? If so, did they commit a crime?”
Wrong question...
” The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”
Today, you do not even know what is in the tens of thousands of pages of laws. As soon as you are deemed an enemy of those in power, your collected history can be searched to find out just how you have violated the laws - stretching back decades.
I think my question was a valid one. The subject of this thread and many others is the effect of the Patriot Act on our Civil Rights. So, I’ll ask again, does Anybody know Anyone who has been targeted by an intelligence agency operating under the Patriot Act? If so, what triggered it and what was the outcome?
“Have you ever considered that this may make your information more likely to be prioritized?”
No, a waste of their time. Also, don’t assume those professionals working there are supportive of Obama. They are looking for terrorists wanting to kill us. I don’t include them among his political hit groups, such as Homeland Security and the IRS.
” So, I’ll ask again, does Anybody know Anyone who has been targeted by an intelligence agency operating under the Patriot Act? If so, what triggered it and what was the outcome?”
I suspect it isn’t able to be determined - regardless of whether it is a good question or not.
The better question in my view is whether the Patriot Act violates due process an other rights of the Constitution and is therefore illegal. I consider it so, whether they ever used it in the way you ask or not.
“No, a waste of their time. Also, don’t assume those professionals working there are supportive of Obama. They are looking for terrorists wanting to kill us. I don’t include them among his political hit groups, such as Homeland Security and the IRS.”
I suspect it is not a waste of their time across the full spectrum of all employees and contractors. Without collecting all, they cannot know.
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