House Votes to Expand NSA Surveillance Powers Another 6 Years The House has voted to extend and expand the government's warrantless surveillance powers another six years, while ignoring efforts to ensure new adequate privacy safeguards for American citizens. The House vote to reauthorize Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act 256 to 164 (you can find a breakdown of who voted for or against it here).

There have been countless examples of how this program has been routinely abused by a government with an insatiable appetite for surveillance expansion, but notably less appetite for accountability and checks and balances. Reps. Justin Amash and Zoe Lofgren had pushed for an amendment that would have called for reauthorization of the underlying program, while requiring a warrant (as per a little something called the 4th Amendment) for spying on American citizens. But that amendment was voted down 183 to 233. "The bill heads to the Senate this Tuesday, and we only need 41 Senators to stop the vote," notes digital rights group Fight for the Future. "A bipartisan group of Senators are already threatening to filibuster, as it does not include Fourth Amendment protections for innocent Americans." Many were quick to point out that the same Democrats that have denounced Donald Trump as being too close to Putin, unstable and ill-fit for office, still somehow found a way to approve extending and expanding his administration's ability to spy on American citizens without adequate safeguards. "One would hope, and expect, that those who genuinely view Trump as a menace of this magnitude and view themselves as #Resistance fighters would do everything within their ability to impose as many limits and safeguards as possible on the powers he is able to wield," notes a report over at The Intercept. "If “resistance” means anything, at a minimum it should entail a refusal to trust a dangerous authoritarian to wield vast power with little checks or oversight." There's a little more "resistance" to passing a bill without Fourth Amendment protections when it reaches the Senate next week, namely coming from Senators Ron Wyden, Rand Paul and Mike Lee. But preventing the surveillance extension's approval is expected to be a steep uphill climb. There's a little more "resistance" to passing a bill without Fourth Amendment protections when it reaches the Senate next week, namely coming from Senators Ron Wyden, Rand Paul and Mike Lee. But preventing the surveillance extension's approval is expected to be a steep uphill climb.







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Most recommended from 34 comments



Ut98Ex

join:2012-07-11

Georgetown, TX 22 recommendations Ut98Ex Member Sad day... When the only thing that the two parties agree on is to spy on us without a warrant. Tch81

join:2015-08-10 12 recommendations Tch81 Member Ha! And they say bipartisanship is dead! Pfft... pawpaw

join:2004-05-05

Asheville, NC 6 recommendations pawpaw Member Hung out to dry So much for their oath to uphold the Constitution.



So much for the Judicial Branch for protecting us against the Legislative and Executive branches.

cb14

join:2013-02-04

Miami Beach, FL 3 recommendations cb14 Member Privacy? Let me Google it.