Not any more. "
A country where ignorant or dishonest ranters dominate the public debate would not be a representative republic.
But there are still people in America who inform themselves on the doings of the government and do not just spread disinformation and ignorance about it. So it is too soon for sheep to be celebrating the end of representative republicanism, despite their ignorant hyperbole on this thread LOL!
Previous threads here here here here
The relevant part of the law is explained in the Congressional Report: "The Conferees intend that this authority be used for accessing records and information from financial institutions for counterintelligence, foreign intelligence, and international terrorism investigations. "
It is not available for use in other criminal investigations- not even domestic terrorism cases.
Sounds promising.
So then let's forget the Congressional Report and ask; Where is the relevant part of the law -- the intent of the authority -- explained in the HR law?
Fine sentiments, but utterly toothless. The Patriot Act was already used against a Las Vegas strip club operator. Nobody in the DoJ or any prosecutor's office ever got fired for burning children in Waco, much less for "forgetting" to have a subpeona hearing to access Rush Limbaugh's medical records, or ever will face even the slightest penalty for disobeying that directive.
Our federal LEAs are out of control.