Sometimes good politicians do rise against their more tyrannical peers: A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress Tuesday would end government spying on ordinary Americans, repealing the Patriot Act, as the traitors in government rush to reauthorize the law’s most controversial provisions before a June deadline.
Introduced by Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), The Surveillance State Repeal Act would overturn the 2001 Patriot Act. The Patriot act had allowed for mass government surveillance, all in the name of “anti-terrorism” and the destruction of any information (destroying evidence of the NSA’s own wrongdoing where necessary) collected under it.
The bill would also repeal the 2008 FISA Amendments Act, which allows for internet spying. It would stop the government from forcing tech manufacturers to compromise on encryption or privacy features, allowing them spying on their devices.
Whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, who exposed the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance in 2013, would also be afforded additional protections.
“Revelations about the NSA’s programs reveal the extraordinary extent to which the program has invaded Americans’ privacy,” Pocan said. “I reject the notion that we must sacrifice liberty for security — we can live in a secure nation which also upholds a strong commitment to civil liberties. This legislation ends the NSA’s dragnet surveillance practices, while putting provisions in place to protect the privacy of American citizens through real and lasting change.”
The Hill notes that the bill faces an uphill battle in Congress, as milder bills aimed at the Patriot Act in recent years haven’t mustered enough votes to move forward; a part of me hopes that this bill will pass, yet the more rational side of me realizes that only bills that take away from the people ever get passed (though they always get disguised as some vague benefit).
In particular, the provision of the Patriot Act that gives the NSA legal authority to carry out its phone data dragnet is set to expire June 1; while anti-surveillance members of Congress likely don’t have the votes to extinguish the program, they may be able to shift the collection of phone records back to communication companies and out of the grubby hands of the NSA. That way they would have to bribe the communications companies first, at least.
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety” — Benjamin Franklin. Imagine how much balls a politician had to have to say “please don’t give me any more power over you, just because you hope that I can solve your problems, because I will probably only screw you over”.
Source: Huffington Post
You want to support Anonymous Independent & Investigative News? Please, follow us on Twitter: Follow @AnonymousNewsHQ
What can the people do to help this pass?
The Patriot Act should never have seen the light of day. It goes against everything this country stands for. Repeal it!
Good Lord there is someone in Washington with a great idea. Funny because you would think republicans would be all for this, well the old republican party. Now a days well the rich they want to be protected. It will be interesting to see what happens and how congressmen will vote. I am betting this is the only time we will hear about it that it will basically vanish into some committee or killed quietly. Congressmen that are backed by military industry wont be for it. They will cry out how its saved us from Terrorists and such.
We must overthrow this entire government. Democrats, Republicans, and replace it with a new government, a new more powerful constitution, a new set of laws, a new for the people approach. Individuals, over business, over government. End the class system of wealthy and poor. Make one race, equal under the constitution. The best of socialism, and communism, with a democratic approach, without money, all needs provided, no profit motive, must be established. http://www.obamasweapon.com