Congress Warns DOJ That If It Doesn't Support NSA Reform Plan, It Won't Renew Key Patriot Act Provision
from the get-your-act-together dept
While the USA Freedom Act isn't perfect, it is one bill in Congress that has a lot of support and will fix many problems with the current NSA overreach. Much more needs to be done, but the USA Freedom Act is a good starting point. And yet, the Obama administration and his Justice Department have yet to take a public stand on the bill, and that seems to be annoying plenty of folks in Congress. At the recent Judiciary Committee hearings, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, the original author of the Patriot Act and Section 215, made it abundantly clear that the DOJ/NSA's interpretation of his bill was simply incorrect and that they were abusing the system. As the sponsor of the USA Freedom Act to fix this misinterpretation, he pointed out that if the DOJ doesn't agree to support it, there's a good chance that Congress simply won't renew the provisions in Section 215 at all. Section 215, of course, is the part that has been misinterpreted by the DOJ, the FISA court, the NSA and the FBI to pretend it authorizes the collection of every phone record. In short, the message from Congress is: work with us to reform things, or we'll pull the authority altogether. Of course, some of us think that pulling the authority altogether might be a better long term solution.And it's not just Sensenbrenner making those claims. Many others -- across the political spectrum -- made it clear during the hearing that the NSA's actions with regards to Section 215 were unacceptable and Congress is going to make them change things. Yes, nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the NSA (and the President's) desire to keep collecting everyone's metadata is not convincing anyone.
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Filed Under: doj, house judiciary committee, jim sensenbrenner, nsa, reform, section 215, surveillance, usa freedom act
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wait, what?!
...
Yeah right, I'll believe it when I see it.
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Re: wait, what?!
Now whether that carries over to the year after the election is the question. At present I have absolutely no faith at all in these congress critters doing anything for the benefit of the nation unless it is an accidental side benefit from providing their swill handlers what they want.
It can not have helped to have revealed or by in-admission coming up with the same answer that congress itself is being spied on along with everyone else. Rogers, Feinstein, and King have not helped their case but rather have demonstrated time and again, just what is wrong with the present setup.
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Re: Re: wait, what?!
Yes, I'd be throwing out some quality product; but it's sitting in a barrel of mostly rotten apples.
However I'd want that to be an all or nothing vote; my runner up would probably be someone that a combination of the ACLU and EFF recommend. (Oh silly me, I forget that we don't have popular proportional representation methods and instead have outdated physical location based representation; even outside of the senate).
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Re: Re: Re: wait, what?!
This is why many politicians love term limits -- once you get a reputation, you can be more powerful and less accountable as the lobbyist with the money behind the scenes -- without having to put your neck out as a public figure. Even if voters throw their own bum out, the lobbyist will make sure the next guy toes the line just as strictly...
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Re: Re: Re: wait, what?!
Yeah, that will never happen either.
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Re: wait, what?!
Only a complete idiot is going to believe that individuals who have consistently and repeatedly lied, deceived, and manipulated current laws and legislation are suddenly going to become honest, dependable, and suddenly responsible because of some new piece of legislation.
4,000+ years of history has shown that almost without exception, people who abuse power will continue to find ways to abuse power until they are removed from power.
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"nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results,"
"original author of the Patriot Act" -- Yeah, Mike, you can trust him.
What is this? A political blog? Where's the tech? (126 of 198)
11:38:57[m-445-3]
By the way, in case anyone new wanders in: I have to put in the above wacky numbers to prevent the kids from falsely using my screen name. It's one of the standard tactics they attempt to run off the three or four NON-fanboys who haunt here. No one reasonable stays, except for the hoots.
Speaking of hoots, you should click through the below link to see what sites Techdirt ranks with today:
Reality versus Mike: Technorati ranks Techdirt below 5000.
http://technorati.com/blogs/www.techdirt.com
So why does Mike claim "a consistent Technorati Technology Top 100 rating"?
http://www.techdirt.com/about.php (74 of 198)
11:41:50[m-682-5]
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Re: "nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results,"
Thanks for finally explaining why you're still here, but this admission of yours is something we all already knew.
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Re:
Given the history the cynic me is yelling this is pure rhetorics that will result in inaction (or rather a renewal without question). However I do see light at the end of the tunnel. If they live by their word it'll be refreshing.
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"nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results,"
"original author of the Patriot Act" -- Yeah, Mike, you can trust him.
By the way, in case anyone new wanders in: I have to put in the above wacky numbers to prevent the kids from falsely using my screen name. It's one of the standard tactics they attempt to run off the three or four NON-fanboys who haunt here. No one reasonable stays, except for the hoots.
Speaking of hoots, you should click through the below link to see what sites Techdirt ranks with today:
Reality versus Mike: Technorati ranks Techdirt below 5000.
http://technorati.com/blogs/www.techdirt.com
So why does Mike claim "a consistent Technorati Technology Top 100 rating"?
http://www.techdirt.com/about.php (74 of 198)
12:17:36[n-290-0]
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Now that there is widespread criticism against the very law that congress passed, now even congress is against the very law they passed.
Here's a hint to the NSA: don't bite the hand that feeds you, because they're gonna slap you down the first chance they get.
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Re:
If Obama came out to roll back the NSA Congress would come out in support of MORE NSA.
Don't you get that Masnick?
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Re:
what they have had no chances to date? for all these years, and in the past 1 plus year your saying Congress has had no chances to 'slap them down' ???
what do you think Congress cares about more?? Congress or their possible re-election, or partisan politics or the NSA and or the rapidly shrinking group of people again the NSA?
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Sensenbrenner still doesn't get it
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HAHAHA Congress
So if you hoping for Congress to ride up in shinny white horses and save the day, you are going to be waiting for a very long time.
" (and the President's) desire to keep collecting everyone's metadata is not convincing anyone."
and Congress saying they are going to actually act and not talk, is not convincing anyone, or that they are acting for the good of the country, and not from partisanship.
Congress is a joke, but pin your hopes and dreams on them, I am sure they would not let Masnick down!
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at least you agree that's its just bluster, and understand this "bluster" DOES NOT LEAD TO RESULTS.
But feel free to pin your hopes and dreams on the US Congress, but NSA is not going to affect their re-election prospects, therefore Congress will do nothing.
But they will the opposites game with the Dem's.
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That will satisfy Congress and INCREASE the NSAs' snooper powers.
Always think of the worst possible outcome with Congress.
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Re:
Question is, can Congress figure that out?
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Re: Re:
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They certainly pulled out all stops to change it, US population basically hates congress, probably as much as TD hates the US Government.
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"nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results,"
Anyhoo, here again is what they just have to suppress:
You so totally undermine their credibility that one has to wonder why you run this.
"original author of the Patriot Act" -- Yeah, Mike, you can trust him.
By the way, in case anyone new wanders in: I have to put in the above wacky numbers to prevent the kids from falsely using my screen name. It's one of the standard tactics they attempt to run off the three or four NON-fanboys who haunt here. No one reasonable stays, except for the hoots.
Speaking of hoots, you should click through the below link to see what sites Techdirt ranks with today:
Reality versus Mike: Technorati ranks Techdirt below 5000.
http://technorati.com/blogs/www.techdirt.com
So why does Mike claim "a consistent Technorati Technology Top 100 rating"?
http://www.techdirt.com/about.php (74 of 198)
15:10:50[q-101-5]
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Re: "nothing has happened yet, and Congressional bluster doesn't always lead to results,"
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So what?
Who is going to be impressed by that? What kind of threat is that?
The only threat is when people are going to be put in jail for not following the provisions and intent of section 215. Not going to happen under Eric Holder, so the only viable road is to have him removed from office. There are felonies and transgressions enough in his record that he is not fit for working in government, least of all leading the Department of Justice.
Other than that, if a section is not reauthorized that did not allow what was done under its name, they'll just declare to operate under some other law that does not allow what is going to be done under its name.
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Re:
Talking point 302b, if I'm not mistaken.
The stoopid public cannot be allowed to hamstring the government because the government is the good guys and the public is simply too damn dense to know what is what.
You wouldn't happen to be working for Mister McCain would you??
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...so does Greenwald and who knows who by now?
Be patient folks. There is not way it can go on like this forever.
The way it unfolds now it will burst big time, and the change is coming sooner then you think. I predict.
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WOOOOOOW GO REPUBLICANS
what you bet this happens i cant believe it...seems someone want sot get elected and are worried about what i keep telling americans not to vote DUMBOCRAT or retardicon
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I assure you....that in 1986, NSA and NSA TSP was up and running breaking fed and state criminal codes with the monitoring and assent of county, municipal, state and federal cops in South Dakota. The law means nothing...because the military and cops have decided to go rogue with prosecutors at all levels remaining silent.
"...If they get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers...."
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Honor among thieves....
Now that the congress-critters and most of the republican party have started to realize that all of their shady, under-the-table dirty dealings and clandestine porn-site visits may have been recorded for posterity by the fed, we should be hearing a lot more demands for ending the NSA Surveillance Program from people who we would normally expect to be 100% pro NSA. I can hardly wait till Feinstein realizes her phones are tapped too.
This should be interesting.
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