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House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act (Freedom & Liberty Restored?)
FoxNews.com ^ | February 08, 2011 | Chad Pergram

Posted on 02/09/2011 3:09:10 AM PST by broken_arrow1

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.

And when you do on Capitol Hill, you can sometimes lose a vote.

The newly-minted House Republican leadership botched a vote Tuesday night when it presumed it had the necessary support to reauthorize the Patriot Act, the anti-terrorism law imposed after September 11th.

The GOP expected little trouble with the bill. So Republicans brought the Patriot Act to the floor under a special procedure that requires a two-thirds vote for passage. It's a maneuver that's typically reserved for non-controversial legislation or bills that carry wide support.

Renewing that Patriot Act had certainly had wide support. 277 members voted in favor of the measure compared to just 148 nays.

But that's short of the two-thirds supermajority. Which means the House defeated the bill.

With 425 members voting, 284 yea votes were necessary to cross the two-thirds threshold for passage. 26 Republicans voted against renewing the law.

Democrats opposed to the Patriot Act were gleeful at the GOP miscalculation.

"Look at the ‘Don't Tread on Me flag.' It doesn't say don't tread on me, but it's okay if you spy," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), one of the most ardent opponents of the Patriot Act. "What the Republican leadership didn't count on is that they have some new members who are freshmen who are conservative, libertarian, who really do believe in civil liberties."

Eight Republicans whom the GOP regards as freshmen voted against the reauthorization. That's precisely the number of yea votes Republicans needed to pass the bill.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) used to set the schedule when Democrats were in the majority and is familiar with floor meltdowns like the one Tuesday night.

But despite the misstep, Republicans blamed Democrats for the defeat.

(Excerpt) Read more at politics.blogs.foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 112th; congress; counterterrorism; gop; house; obama; patriotact; teaparty
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The Constitution-shredding "PATRIOT" Act, with its roving wiretaps and secret searches sounded good under Bush only because at the time, 'We The People' were not considered "terrorists". However, under Obama's DHS, returning war veterans, pro-lifers, pro-Constitutionalists, pro-Second Amendment and freedom loving Americans everywhere are under assault as "domestic extremists" and treated like terrorists prone to surveillance by our own government.

Big Sis already wanting to surveil suspected 'lone wolves', which it only suspects may harbor anti-government sentiment. Minority Report.

1 posted on 02/09/2011 3:09:16 AM PST by broken_arrow1
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To: broken_arrow1

The patriot act has always been about supressing patriots. I’m glad it did not get extended, but wait; congress will find a way to bring it back in one shape or another. Don’t rule out a booga booga Al CIAda terror event to scare the ninnying congress critters into tightening the scackles on us once more.


2 posted on 02/09/2011 3:28:36 AM PST by zeebob
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To: broken_arrow1

Ooooooh! This is very scary!

Not.

3 posted on 02/09/2011 3:30:21 AM PST by mikey_hates_everything
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To: broken_arrow1
The Constitution-shredding "PATRIOT" Act, with its roving wiretaps and secret searches sounded good under Bush

That's funny - it never sounded good to me.
4 posted on 02/09/2011 3:32:25 AM PST by arderkrag (Georgia is God's Country.----------In the same way Rush is balance, I am consensus.)
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To: broken_arrow1

Does this mean I can buy real cold medicine again without giving the pharmacy my name, driver’s license, left arm, and first-born child?

Regards,


5 posted on 02/09/2011 3:39:13 AM PST by VermiciousKnid (Sic narro nos totus!)
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To: broken_arrow1

The idea that government intrusion into our private lives will prevent a terrorist act is blown to shreds when our own government refuses to secure our borders and grants travel visas to terrorist cheerleaders. Add that political correctness gone amok failed to prevent the Ft Hood shootings.


6 posted on 02/09/2011 3:42:05 AM PST by listenhillary (20 years in Reverend Wright's church is all I need to determine the "content of his character")
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Ping


7 posted on 02/09/2011 3:46:51 AM PST by Mrs. B.S. Roberts
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To: VermiciousKnid

No, thats a different law designed to make it harder for meth heads to get their supplies.


8 posted on 02/09/2011 3:52:30 AM PST by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: broken_arrow1

I didn’t see a list of the yeas and nays. Did I miss it, or should I look elsewhere?


9 posted on 02/09/2011 3:58:08 AM PST by ExGeeEye (Freedom is saying "No!" to the Feds, and getting away with it. "Speak 'NO' to Power!")
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To: broken_arrow1

Gonna really crimp Barry and Janets style won’t it?

I am kind of surprised that they went for a super majority. Why bother?

Now they will just tweak it up and bring it back up again for a simple majority. But it looks bad for Boehnner. Pelosi would never have made that mistake. She secured members ahhh .... members in a lock box until they voted as she commanded before returning them.


10 posted on 02/09/2011 3:59:44 AM PST by Munz (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
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To: broken_arrow1

The GOP only acts conservative, when they are a minority.


11 posted on 02/09/2011 4:21:04 AM PST by Palter (If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it. ~ Mark Twain)
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To: broken_arrow1

From Hot Air Article:

Nine freshmen and three inaugural members of the House Tea Party Caucus cast votes against a proposed extension of three Patriot Act provisions Tuesday night, helping block the measure from passage under fast-track rules…

Those [Republicans] who voted no Tuesday night included Roscoe G. Bartlett (Md.), Paul Broun (Ga.) and Walter B. Jones (N.C.), all of whom were original members of the House Tea Party Caucus when it was founded last summer.

And nine [Republican] freshmen also voted no: Justin Amash (Mich.), Michael G. Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Christopher P. Gibson (N.Y.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Randy Hultgren (Ill.), Raul R. Labrador (Idaho), Robert Schilling (Ill.), David Schweikert (Ariz.) and Rob Woodall (Ga.).


12 posted on 02/09/2011 4:24:47 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: broken_arrow1

Extremely proud of the 26 Patriots that voted along side dems on this issue. I am disappointed people like Bachmann and others supported this measure...now defund DHS!


13 posted on 02/09/2011 4:24:46 AM PST by Leader_Of_The _Conservatives (High time to bring back the sons (and daughters) of liberty!!!! SP4P2012)
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To: VermiciousKnid
Does this mean I can buy real cold medicine again without giving the pharmacy my name, driver’s license, left arm, and first-born child?

I doubt that changes. But it should.

I have to show more ID to buy those little red OTC sinus tablets than I do to get my 4 prescriptions.
14 posted on 02/09/2011 4:26:41 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: broken_arrow1

obama is the REASON THE PA WAS DEFEATED... NO ONE TRUSTS THAT kenyan muslim marxist bastard from hell.

LLS


15 posted on 02/09/2011 4:28:17 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!!!)
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To: broken_arrow1

If Boehner and Cantor didn’t see this vote coming, they are not doing their jobs.

They should know the expected vote, at least the from Republicans, on any major measure before the actual vote is called for.


16 posted on 02/09/2011 4:29:26 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: LibLieSlayer

Its true. I don’t trust Obama with that power. I didn’t trust the last guy either. And I refuse to trust any future administration, regardless of the letters after their name.

Such powers are an insult to my rights and the govt simply does not deserve them.


17 posted on 02/09/2011 4:32:52 AM PST by FreeInWV (Have you had enough change yet?)
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To: broken_arrow1

Now that the Patriot Act is dead, remove the DHS and TSA.
They were never needed in the first place. The FBI should have been our domestic first line of defense, not some trumped up mob of miscreants with an Wyatt Earp complex and a desire to unionize.


18 posted on 02/09/2011 4:37:08 AM PST by BuffaloJack (Re-Elect President Sarah Palin 2016)
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To: TomGuy

The question is, did you see it coming? Seems to me that they tried to renew it quietly in the night with no discussion from their supporters.

Judging from what I have seen here, not even the hardcore right solidly supports it.


19 posted on 02/09/2011 4:38:26 AM PST by FreeInWV (Have you had enough change yet?)
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To: TomGuy
Does this mean I can buy real cold medicine again without giving the pharmacy my name, driver’s license, left arm, and first-born child?...... I doubt that changes. But it should..... I have to show more ID to buy those little red OTC sinus tablets than I do to get my 4 prescriptions.

Or to vote.

20 posted on 02/09/2011 4:51:37 AM PST by Mygirlsmom (What used to be called treason is now official US foreign policy.)
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