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Senator Chambliss Says There's No Reason To Debate FISA Amendments Act; Just Pass It

from the unconstitutional dept

Wed, Dec 19th 2012 3:53pm — Mike Masnick

We've been covering in great detail the FISA Amendments Act, which is likely to be renewed before the end of the year. As you may recall, this was the "law" that expanded the ability of federal law enforcement to warrantlessly wiretap Americans -- and then, thanks to a secret interpretation appears to be used to scoop up tons of information on Americans, despite appearing to be limited to only foreign communications. As we noted recently, a former judge has made a pretty compelling case why the whole thing is completely unconstitutional. While Senator Wyden has put a hold on the renewal of the FAA, he's also said he'll lift the hold if the Senate will consider some important amendments and actually debate the law.

And yet... that might not happen. Senator Saxby Chambliss, apparently with no regard to the Constitution or the privacy of the public he's supposed to represent, has apparently complained that any debate is a waste of time after Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to bring up the issue.

Reid wanted S. 3276 to be considered with a limited number of amendments, but Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) objected and said he didn’t understand why the Senate couldn’t just pass the House FISA bill. He referred to a letter stating that the Obama administration supports the House-version.

So, apparently, as long as the White House wants to trample on Americans' 4th Amendment Rights, and there's a House version that was passed because Representatives misrepresented or lied about what was in the bill, the Senate should just approve it? Yikes. We deserve better. We should absolutely demand that Congress debate this issue, and not rubber stamp it.

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Filed Under: 4th amendment, debate, fisa, fisa amendments act, privacy, ron wyden, saxby chambliss

32 Comments

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iambinarymind (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 4:09pm

It's much easier to comprehend the irrationality of congress if you assume that congressmen think of themselves as authoritarian parents and 'the people' as their children.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 4:16pm

I wonder why this guy wants this to be passed without having a debate first. Could it be that there is something he doesn't want coming out and people finding out that a debate would uncover.
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Andrew Norton (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 4:22pm

Yeah, we've not been happy with him here in Ga for years.
That's why we're trying to get the Georgia Pirate Party going.
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The Real Michael, 19 Dec 2012 @ 4:38pm

They only do as much as we allow them to get away with doing.
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Disgusted, 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:02pm

Since when has this administration or this congress had ANY regard for the people or the Constitution? I fully expect them to continue stomping on our rights until we stop them. It may take a march on Washington to do that.
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Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:02pm

That's exactly why the U.S. has three branches of government: so they can rubber-stamp each others' decisions.
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gorehound (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:03pm

I am getting very angry at all the shit these guys are pulling on us Citizens.Over and over they dick us around.One of these days they are going to get exactly what is coming to them.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:06pm

I thought the whole point of having a congress was to debate how laws would benefit the country, if we are not going to debate anything why even have Senators?
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Keii (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:09pm

If you have nothing to hide...
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:16pm

Hang tough, Mr. Wyden, hang tough.
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Jay (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:27pm

Re:
Given the red shift that he came in on, I have a feeling he only represented special interests anyway.
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That One Guy (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 5:41pm

I'm going to be blunt here, as the whole thing disgusts me.

Now that at least one senator has indicated that he in in no way, shape, or form interested in debating on the act(and given their collective actions in the past, I would be massively surprised if he's the only one to hold that view/position), I can only hope Senator Wyden has the guts to stand by his earlier decision, and maintains the hold on the act renewal, hopefully killing the heinous thing.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 6:04pm

Chambliss: We don't need to debate. I don't know what that term means.

Maybe Chambliss should ask his buddy Paul Broun about science
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 6:05pm

I hope Wyden keeps the hold on the FISA Amendments Act that it then expires and we can hear a debate on it.
The NSA will still continue it's unconstitutional actions, but at least it will not be under cover of a bad law.
But just watch the statists will not allow that to happen.
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Ellian (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 6:17pm

spy camera pen
Long recording instances also can help on this manner. Hidden cameras can solely remain hidden if you do not alert anybody to their presence. Yet, many individuals make these small mistakes that give them away.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 7:09pm

Theres no time for debate on warrant-less spying! We need that time to ban guns, the whisper of a defense from government tyranny, and get the christian god back into schools!!! No time for ANYTHING else!
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 7:17pm

Re:
Of course, the reality of the situation is just the opposite.
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Mr. Applegate, 19 Dec 2012 @ 7:39pm

Already Contacted both of my Senators
Not that it will do any good if more people don't. I hope everyone reading this will contact their senators as well.
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Mr. Applegate, 19 Dec 2012 @ 7:43pm

Re:
"I thought the whole point of having a congress was to debate how laws would benefit the country, if we are not going to debate anything why even have Senators?"

I would have thought the answer was obvious. The answer is to rubber stamp the wants of all the special interests. (You know the ones that pad the pockets of the congressmen and senators.

After all, while congress has an extremely low approval rating, they are overwhelmingly re-elected term after term, so they know they don't need to serve the people.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2012 @ 7:47pm

Did you know?
US senators are paid an annual salary of $174,000.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't really think Senator Chambliss really needs all that bribe money. $174,000/year ought to be plenty, don't you think?
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Wally (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 11:33pm

Re:
Well, one could rebuttal that this administration (the Whitehouse) spoke out against SOPA. Problem is, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was initially completely opposed to SOPA when she got her hands on it. President Obama's "lack" of support for that bill was evident with his initial wishywashy statements. Turns out Hilary Clinton had to actually strongly assert her advisement against the measure.
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Wally (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 11:36pm

Re: Already Contacted both of my Senators
The SOPA blackouts caused quite a stir if I remember correctly...is there a legal way to show them the public doesn't like being spied on?
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Wally (profile), 19 Dec 2012 @ 11:38pm

Re:
Sorry, you've got it backwards AC. My tax dollars go towards the $174,000 annual income.....anything they make outside of that, that's bribe money...
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2012 @ 2:44am

two things:

1) who the hell thought of Saxby Chambliss for a name? whoever it was has a real sense of humour and lack of care over the amount of piss taking that must have ensued

2)before everyone goes along with this idiot, let him be the subject of a year long series of wire taps, surveillance, tracking, listening in, reading, make it all public and see how he likes it then
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2012 @ 3:37am

Re:
Not answering questions or givinvg vague answers would be a tad..... obvious
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2012 @ 3:44am

Re:
Why dont we start with government full transparency, because, you know......if you have nothing to hide.........
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Jill, 20 Dec 2012 @ 5:33am

Authoritarian Regimes
Don't have to follow the Constitution.
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Lesath (profile), 20 Dec 2012 @ 7:19am

Being from the great state of Georgia, it saddens me greatly when one of the two people representing me fails like this. Chambliss is another empty suit nodding his head and 'just following orders.'
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2012 @ 7:24am

"There's No Reason To Debate FISA Amendments Act; Just Pass It"

What horrible logic. Under this line of reasoning, we could wipe out democracy all together. There's no reason to campaign; Just have the elections. There's no reason to have an election; Just keep the incumbent. What if he dies? His children are heirs to his seat in that case. Wasn't that tried before and failed miserably?
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art guerrilla (profile), 20 Dec 2012 @ 8:08am

Re:
that chambliss bastard is pure scum: a chickenhawk, war-mongering POS who mocked and slandered a REAL war hero (max cleland, had *some* issues with cleland's positions, BUT, he was NOT a slime ball chickenshit rethug ahole like chambliss) stuck in a wheelchair for life, who he stole the election from...
that chambliss POS better not find himself in a dark alley with me, 'cause even though i'm old and feeble, one of us ain't comin' out of that alley in one piece... fucker

art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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Thomas (profile), 20 Dec 2012 @ 8:33am

Congress doesn't dare..
to block the bill; they don't want the spooks after them. Besides, blocking the bill would label them soft on terrorism, which no one wants. It doesn't really matter whether the bill is passed or not anyway; the spooks will continue to do as they please - they know that the worst that can happen if they are caught is they get a slap on the wrist.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2012 @ 1:00pm

Re: Re: Already Contacted both of my Senators
..is there a legal way to show them the public doesn't like being spied on?

It takes research but one could decide not to buy products from firms involved in supporting such spying.
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