Thread: The Patriot Act to be extended?

Originally Posted by Sivaro

Call your Congressman and ask them to end the Patriot Act

Email sent...will call tomorrow.

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, But Will the Patriot Act Live On?


Aaron Swartz: Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, But Will the Patriot Act Live On?



The Patriot Act is (again) up for renewal this month. Now remember, it was initially enacted as a supposedly temporary measure in the wake of 9-11, but more and more of it keeps getting made permanent and the rest has been continually extended for the past decade. With the death of bin Laden, it's finally time for Congress to bring back the pre-9-11 legal norm, before we decided it was okay to toss out our civil liberties if the "bad guys" were scary enough.

Senate votes to extend Patriot Act



Patriot Act: Senate votes to extend anti-terrorism surveillance law - latimes.com



Once again. There will never be an end to the Patriot Act nor the occupations nations that never attacked us.

Now Congressional approval and Presidential Sign Off will finish our chance and rectifying this unjust and un constitutional act via our Representatives..

Just read this on another site:
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Dear Patriot,

Harry Reid is attempting to ram the "Patriot" Act through once again with little debate and no amendments - despite his promise to senators on both sides of the aisle to allow an open amendment process.

Thankfully, the liberty movement has an ally in the Senate whose determination to stand up for the American people's liberties is stronger than ever - Senator Rand Paul.

For the past seven hours, Senator Paul has been holding the Senate floor, keeping Reid and his allies from rushing this bill through the Senate without debate or amendments.

I know over the past two days I've sent you numerous requests to take action by calling your senators and demanding they oppose the unconstitutional, misnamed "Patriot" Act - and I will ask you again in just a moment.

But first, please give Senator Paul's office a call at 202-224-4343 to thank him for standing up for the American people and the Constitution!

Afterward, please give both of your senators another call through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Ask them to stand with Rand Paul, the Constitution, and the fundamental liberties that made America great by opposing the rushed extension of these three provisions without debate - and unamended.

Together, we have a great opportunity to make a difference, but I need you all to remain as steadfast and committed to this fight as Senator Paul.

I hope you will stand with Senator Paul and C4L by again contacting both of your senators to oppose the extension of the so-called "Patriot" Act.



In Liberty,


John Tate
President Campaign for Liberty

Originally Posted by Sivaro

Senate votes to extend Patriot Act



Patriot Act: Senate votes to extend anti-terrorism surveillance law - latimes.com



Once again. There will never be an end to the Patriot Act nor the occupations nations that never attacked us.

Now Congressional approval and Presidential Sign Off will finish our chance and rectifying this unjust and un constitutional act via our Representatives..

Patriot Act powers may lapse at end of week


By Alexander Bolton and Josiah Ryan - 05/24/11 07:14 PM ET
A combination of the Senate’s arcane rules and Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) insistence on voting on several controversial amendments may cause the Patriot Act to lapse at the end of the week.

The expiration of the law before the passage of an extension would create an upheaval in the law enforcement community which relies on its authority to track suspected terrorists.


Patriot Act powers may lapse at end of week - The Hill's Floor Action

Rand Paul vs Patriot Act

WASHINGTON – Squeezed against a deadline, the Senate late Wednesday moved past a standoff over a four-year extension of the anti-terror Patriot Act before part of it expire.

An agreement to hold a test vote early Thursday was the first progress all week toward resolving an impasse between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and tea party favorite Rand Paul, R-Ky., before three provisions of the act expire at midnight Thursday. Just before he closed the Senate on Wednesday night, Reid said there likely would be votes on amendments to the extension.

That could go a long way toward meeting Paul's demand that Reid make good on a promise earlier this year to hold a full debate on proposed changes to the post-9/11 law, which empowers the government to find terrorists on American soil. Paul and other civil libertarians of both parties say the Patriot Act should be reconsidered or repealed outright because it risks infringing free speech and guarantees against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The legislation would extend three expiring provisions until June 1, 2015.

The provisions at issue allow the government to use roving wiretaps on multiple electronic devices and across multiple carriers and get court-approved access to business records relevant to terrorist investigations. The third, a "lone wolf" provision that was part of a 2004 law, permits secret intelligence surveillance of non-U.S. individuals without having to show a connection between the target and a specific terrorist group... more

AP >>> Senate moves Patriot Act toward extension (8:52pm CDT Wed 25 May 2011)

BELOW: A New York City police observation tower in Times Square. The US Senate voted to open a debate on a proposed four-year extension of the Patriot Act, a controversial anti-terrorism law passed after the September 11 attacks.

YouTube - ‪Sen. Paul Agrees to Vote on USA PATRIOT Act; Sen. Reid Refuses‬‏

U.S. Congress on Thursday passed a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.

Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after legislators rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.

Following the 250-153 evening vote in the House, the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting authorities headed for the U.S. president's signature with only hours to go before the provisions expire at midnight.

U.S. Congress passes Patriot Act extension - World - CBC News

Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension

With Obama currently in France, the White House said the president would use an autopen machine that holds a pen and signs his actual signature. It is only used with proper authorization of the president. Minutes before the midnight deadline, the White House said Obama had signed the bill.

Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension | ajc.com

He should have signed it in Israel.

Patriot Act Extension - H.R. 514 - Voting Record

Obama signs surveillance law extension

http://www.presstv.com/detail/182000.html


US President Barack Obama has signed into law three key provisions of the controversial anti-terror Patriot Act shortly before they were set to expire at midnight.

The White House said on Friday that President Obama used an "auto pen," which replicates his signature, to beat the deadline and sign the Patriot Act extension, AP reported.

The US president, who is currently in France, said he was pleased the act had been extended.

"It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat," he said after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Obama acted shortly after the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate approved the bill overwhelmingly. It passed the House 250-153, hours after it cleared Senate 72-23.

The provisions empower the US government to use roving wiretaps on multiple electronic devices; and get court-approved access to business records relevant to terrorist investigations.

The third provision permits secret intelligence surveillance of non-US individuals who are not believed to be connected to any foreign power.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has leveled criticism at the increased surveillance powers of the Bush-era Patriot Act.

"Congress has once again chosen to rubberstamp the Patriot Act and its overreaching provisions. Since its passage nearly a decade ago, the Patriot Act has been used improperly again and again by law enforcement to invade Americans' privacy and violate their constitutional rights," said Laura Murphy of the ACLU in a statement.

The chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Patrick Leahy, also argued that the so-called anti-terrorist law violates protections against unwarranted search and seizures.

"The extension of the Patriot Act provisions does not include a single improvement or reform, and includes not even a word that recognizes the importance of protecting the civil liberties and constitutional privacy rights of Americans," Leahy said.

This is while the Republican leader in Senate, Mitch McConnell, said, "The invaluable terror-fighting tools under the Patriot Act have kept us safe for nearly a decade, and Americans today should be relieved and reassured to know that these programs will continue."

According to a senior Justice Department national security official testifying to Congress last March, the US government has sought roving wiretap authority in about 20 cases a year between 2001 and 2010.

Moreover, Washington has on average sought warrants for business records less than 40 times a year.

This comes as the ACLU also points out that court approvals for business record access jumped from 21 in 2009 to 96 last year.

The organization argues that the Patriot Act has failed to draw a clear-cut distinction between investigations of those suspected of terrorism, and those who have not done anything wrong.