Posted on 05/02/2015 5:47:16 AM PDT by cotton1706
In the aftermath of the outrage over the secret spying of Americans exposed by fugitive Edward Snowden, the House and the Senate are on the brink of overhauling the Patriot Act with sweeping bipartisan measures.
Despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell leading a rearguard action to stop the changes, the bills aimed at preventing the government's mass collection of phone and Internet records would usher in a new era of privacy, according to The New York Times.
The proposed legislation will end a decade of bulk storage of metadata by government spy agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the CIA, that was launched in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to prevent more terror acts in the United States, albeit at the cost of civil liberties.
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee significantly approved a bipartisan bill that would block parts of the Patriot Act that allowed for the secret domestic spying on millions of Americans, and was almost certain to have the full backing of the lower chamber this month.
An identical bill in the Senate has been winning widespread support on both sides of the aisle, even though McConnell has voiced his fierce opposition to it and is likely to taste defeat for the first time this year as the new majority leader, the Times reported.
The Patriot Act, which is due for reauthorization next month, will be adjusted under the two bills to prevent bulk collection and mass searches allowed by the so-called National Security Letters issued by the FBI.
Instead, the information would be collected and held by phone companies, and could only be retrieved by U.S. intelligence agencies after approval from the secret
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Next, the "secret FISA courts" need to be abolished, for they just rubber stamp whatever is being asked for.
And a warrant should be required by a senate-confirmed, Article III judge.
Isn’t it odd .... that a Republican RINO is so up in arms, to protect an ‘Act’, that has now been demonstrated to invade the Constitutional rights of ALL Americans, of any political affilation? Whazzup wid’ d’at?
Now ....
“The bill has been watered down but it’s a start.
Next, the “secret FISA courts” need to be abolished, for they just rubber stamp whatever is being asked for.
And a warrant should be required by a senate-confirmed, Article III judge.”
Point 1 - I affirm.
Point 2 - and hold them for unConstitutional acts of treason.
Point 3 - I affirm.
So everyone's phone bills can go up again? No thanks!
And the rubber stamp FISA court? No thanks again!
Get rid of them both.
The data collection will not stop. It will become nonacknowledged. If a thing is technologically feasible and can get paid for it will be done by the government.
"I don't think he's listening to America," Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, said of McConnell.
The Patriot Act is needed with all the Muslims Obama is bringing in plus those already here.
Its about frickin time.
Exactamundo!
What makes you think that the Patriot Act is being employed against muslims?
How do you think some of these plots and folks connected are uncovered? Frankly when you apply for a new insurance policy for home and car or if you merely get some rate quotes you will find that Google, Facebook and many more Internet big names know more about you then Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax does. Plus these Internet companies are selling that INFO.
The best-case outcome would be for the squabble between McConnell and Boehner to prevent any bill from going through, thus allowing the whole rotten “Patriot Act” to expire.
You mean like the plot to bomb the Boston Marathon by a couple of terrorists that the Russians specifically warned the Feds to watch out for?
You mean like the attack in Garland by a couple of terrorists one of whom already had a terrorism-related arrest record?
The truth is that the Feds have too much information already about the citizens, and they're so busy snooping on us that they aren't paying attention to the actual threats.
The FEDS have less INFO then Facebook or Google sells to your home insurer.
And this is relevant because...?
It is relevant if you object to your INFO being shared. If you trust Google, Facebook and other Internet types more then the FEDS I worry about you.
And one of the shooters in TX was monitored on the Internet also. The FBI cannot help it if an Obama appointed Fed Judge refused to jail him. You are too worried about the FEDs. Frankly they need every tool to stop ISIS now.
Exactly. I find it amazing that some with a Facebook page, add a twitter account, and/or a smartphone account are worried about the FBI or NSA?
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