As You Are Distracted By Coronavirus, A Majority In Congress Reauthorize “Abusive Government Surveillance Powers” Of PATRIOT Act
If you recall, all the fake impeachment hearings were used as cover to push through unconstitutional bills. Now, nearly two decades after it was initially passed by Congress, we have not only seen the reauthorization of the tyrannical PATRIOT Act, but we have just witnessed 152 House Democrats join with 126 Republicans to extend the “abusive government surveillance powers” of the PATRIOT Act.
Nothing says bipartisanship like extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act! pic.twitter.com/ibqOjFXyCV
— Jonathan "Boo and Vote" Cohn (@JonathanCohn) March 11, 2020
Jake Johnson writes:
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With the nation’s attention fixed on the rapidly spreading coronavirus, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation to extend FBI surveillance powers that were set to expire on March 15.
The bill, formally titled the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act, cleared the House by a vote of 278 to 136, with 152 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting yes. View the full roll call here.
The legislation, strongly opposed by civil liberties groups and privacy advocates, is the product of bipartisan negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio.).
Attorney General William Barr voiced his support for the measure in a statement on Wednesday.
If passed by the Senate, advocacy group Free Press warned, legislation would “reauthorize abusive government surveillance powers.”
“The bill would reauthorize Section 215 powers Congress established under the USA Patriot Act in 2001,” Free Press noted. “Section 215 is the provision national security agencies cited in the past to support their unwarranted collection of phone records of hundreds of millions of people in the United States.”
Sandra Fulton, government relations director for Free Press Action, said in a statement late Wednesday that “every senator must vote against the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act and demand more reforms and restrictions to curb runaway government surveillance.”
“Opposition to this legislation is gaining momentum as the bill moves to the Senate,” said Fulton. “It’s unthinkable that anyone there would seek to grant an extension of these spying powers to the same agencies that have so often sidestepped safeguards and ignored Americans’ fundamental privacy rights.”
Remember, in November, I reported:
On my radio show Tuesday, I said that I’m sick of hearing about non-crimes during a phony impeachment process that is going nowhere, and that due to the over exposure of the media on this “shiny thing,” there are things going on behind the scenes that need to be exposed, and lo and behold, there were. One of the main things overshadowed by the three ring circus in DC was a cover for the reauthorization of one of the most tyrannical pieces of unconstitutional legislation in our history, the PATRIOT Act.
And there is no doubt, President Donald Trump will go along with it. After all, he’s pushed for reauthorizing the National Security Agency’s (NSA) unlawful spying program on the American people, even as his administration goes after the people who exposed the NSA’s crimes!
Not only did Democrats stand for the bill’s reauthorization in a Continuing Resolution, but they waived a rule that would have given Congress at least 72 hours to read the Continuing Resolution that extended the lawless Act.
Want to see how your congressman voted? Check it out here.
At that time, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted about the continuing resolution.
“230 members of Congress just voted to waive the rule that gives us 72 hours to read the Continuing Resolution,” Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted. “Why is that significant? This CR contains a last minute unrelated provision to extend the #PatriotAct.”
230 members of Congress just voted to waive the rule that gives us 72 hours to read the Continuing Resolution.
Why is that significant? This CR contains a last minute unrelated provision to extend the #PatriotAct
Here’s the roll call for the rule change:https://t.co/etRQGRaZ9i
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 19, 2019
That continuing resolution was for three months and was stuffed into a spending bill allegedly to stave off a government shutdown.
Now, comes this and some have claimed that this will empower President Donald Trump to go after his political enemies, though they have been silent on the usurper Barack Hussein Obama Soetoro Sobarkah going after his political enemies.
“Congress has the chance to require independent, nonpartisan oversight of the FISA process, as proposed in multiple bipartisan bills,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told The Daily Beast. “Instead, House leaders seem intent on putting into law that FISA surveillance of politicians and candidates will be directly under the control of Attorney General Barr.”
“Donald Trump has made it clear that he expects Bill Barr to politicize DOJ investigations on his behalf,” Wyden added. “The solution to the concerns raised by the inspector general is not to codify the politicization of surveillance, especially in lieu of actual reforms.”
Remember, as you think about this: You have been told that Democrats hate Republicans and that they hate Trump. Yet, they are willing to go along and extend tyrannical powers that they claim he will use politically? I don’t follow.
In November, Michigan congressman Justin Amash rightly pointed out, “I introduced an amendment to strip the Patriot Act extension from the spending bill. It has no business being in there. Just like GOP leaders, Dem leaders ruled my amendment out of order. Neither party protects your rights, even though securing rights is why government exists! ”
I introduced an amendment to strip the Patriot Act extension from the spending bill. It has no business being in there. Just like GOP leaders, Dem leaders ruled my amendment out of order. Neither party protects your rights, even though securing rights is why government exists! https://t.co/6kCKt5zisP
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) November 18, 2019
Exactly! But that’s not why they think it exists, Justin. These evil people believe government exists to enrich them and empower them, not as a means to serve the people who elected them.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media
