Could the sun really be setting on the Patriot Act? #Section215 #PatriotAct On Wednesday, Senator Rand Paul, with help from Senator Ron Wyden, spent 11 hours on the Senate floor demanding amendments to the USA Freedom Act to better protect our privacy from NSA spying.
This "filibuster" also created an opportunity to let some provisions of the Patriot Act die... •Section 215, which the NSA used to justify their bulk spying, expires on May 31, midnight.
•The Senate and House are in recess all of next week.
•The two chambers might not be able to agree on either USA Freedom amendments or a Patriot Act extension.
Listen, Rand Paul really moved the ball here. Before his filibuster, most "experts" didn't think we could do any better than the USA Freedom Act. His bold move changed the Senate calendar, on a holiday weekend. In other words...
Rand is using the fact that Congress wants to leave town as leverage against the Patriot Act.
If Section 215 went into sunset, the NSA would have to stop a significant amount of its massive spying on us. But politically, there's an opportunity as well, because…
•24 hours ago, voting FOR the spying power in the form of the USA Freedom Act, made members of Congress "reformers" -- post-Snowden heroes,
•But if Patriot expires, they might have to legislate and pass a new Patriot Act. That would make them goats. We're betting there isn't sufficient political will.
But our work -- yours and mine -- isn't done!
Congress might come to a hasty agreement, and the opportunity Senator Paul created, might be lost, because…
The Senate could stay late and still vote on USA Freedom AS SOON AS FRIDAY NIGHT.
If you want Section 215 to expire instead...
Please tell Congress through DownsizeDC.org's Repeal the Patriot Act campaign.
You may borrow from or copy this letter... Don't reform the NSA through the USA Freedom Act, and don't renew Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Let it sunset.
Let it die.
215 was the NSA’s rationale for bulk data collection that violated our privacy and the Fourth Amendment.
But TWO review boards with access to classified files agree...
Bulk spying has NOT prevented ANY terrorist attacks! (http://bit.ly/1I1dF0h)
We are NOT protected by 215. But our liberties ARE endangered. Many of us have changed our behavior for fear of arousing suspicion. That inhibits my liberty.
And...
I DO NOT CONSENT!
"Reforming" the NSA's spying programs still gives it powers it shouldn't have. Surely, the NSA will, once again, exploit any vague legal language to increase its surveillance of innocent Americans. .
Therefore...
Strip the NSA of this unconstitutional power. Let section 215 expire! --END OF LETTER--
Send your letter here.
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Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.