Senator Harry Reid Going To Try To Push Through USA Freedom Act Before GOP Takes Over Senate
from the here-we-go dept
There were some rumors that, with the GOP about to take over the Senate, the Democratic leadership might try to finally move forward with the USA Freedom Act. The Senate bill has been languishing, despite it being considered a "compromise" bill that was widely acceptable to both intelligence community folks and many in the civil liberties community. Over the last few months, civil liberties and consumer activists groups have been growing less pleased with the bill, as the deeper they've explored it, the more worried they've become about some of how it might be abused. However, it's still considered by many to be a good start, if not (in any way) a perfect bill.And, now, Senator Harry Reid has made the move to push forward with the bill in the lame duck session before control of the Senate flips.
Reid filed for cloture on the measure late Wednesday, a surprising move intended to address the National Security Agency's mass surveillance practices before Republicans take over the Senate next year. To advance further, the legislation would need 60 votes to end debate on the measure, and then a majority vote to pass it through the chamber.It will be interesting to see if they actually have the 60 votes. Part of the delay has been that they weren't sure that there really were enough votes. And there were still pressures by intelligence community supporters to water down the bill (despite James Clapper saying the bill is okay as is) and by Senators Wyden and Udall to add more privacy and civil liberties protections. If they're moving for cloture, it may mean that Reid is confident that they have the votes... or it's a recognition that it's now or never given the change in control that will happen in January. We'll find out soon enough if this means there's enough support, or if Reid just threw a Hail Mary as a final ploy.
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Filed Under: bulk collection, congress, harry reid, mass surveillance, nsa, patrick leahy, senate, surveillance, usa freedom act
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Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
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This kind of posturing seems to be increasing, or I'm just noticing it more.
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The majority of Americans have been long a snooze in it watch over their polyTicks.
Do any of you remember this?
"Ask not what your country can do for you... but what YOU can do for your country!"
These days its... vote in a democrat promising to give you stuff if you elect them in. Of course the repukes are not entire ignorant of this little tactic either, just not quite as frequent with the nanny state expansion.
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I disagree. Republicans seems to be just about equally eager to expand government benefits as the Democrats. They difference (such as it is) tends to be more about who the recipient of the benefits are.
There is an old Zappa lyric that sums up the respective slants pretty well -- although the difference is less stark than it used to be. From the song "Hot-plate Heaven at the Green Hotel":
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"compromise"???
The "intelligence" community needs to suck it up. If they don't, they've gone rogue, and need defunding and disbanding.
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