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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenate Advances NSA reform — but Patriot Act Program to Lapse at Midnight--The Hill
Senate advances NSA reform but program to lapse at midnightBy Julian Hattem - 05/31/15 06:41 PM EDT
The Senate advanced legislation 77-17 to reform the National Security Agency on Sunday, but parts of the Patriot Act will nonetheless lapse for a few days amid opposition from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
The legislation, called the USA Freedom Act, will not reach President Obamas desk until after the three measures expire at midnight, meaning that the provisions will expire until the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by Obama later this week.
The Patriot Act will expire tonight, Paul declared triumphantly from the Senate floor during a rare Sunday evening vote. It will only be temporary. They will ultimately get their way.
Obama has supported the measure and had repeatedly urged lawmakers to support it in the days leading up to Sundays deadline. The bill needed 60 votes in order to advance.
The Senate took an importantif latestep forward tonight, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement late Sunday. We call on the Senate to ensure this irresponsible lapse in authorities is as short-lived as possible. On a matter as critical as our national security, individual Senators must put aside their partisan motivations and act swiftly. The American people deserve nothing less.
A failed gambit by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opened the door to Pauls use of procedural tactics to delay consideration of the bill.
Paul had made the spying programs unearthed by former government contractor Edward Snowden a central part of his presidential candidacy and vowed to force the expiration of the Patriot Act heading into the weekend.
Paul argues the USA Freedom Act which was approved by the House 338-88 earlier in May does not go far enough to rein in spying programs that he and his allies argue are unconstitutional.
Are we going to so blithely give up our freedom? Are we going to so blindly go along and take it? Paul said in heated remarks on the Senate floor before the vote.
Im not going to take it anymore, he declared, as his voice rose to a shout. I dont think the American people are going to take it anymore.
Paul who had roughly two dozen supporters crowding the gallery of the Senate in red Stand with Rand t-shirts appeared to declare victory after the vote.
We didn't have 60 votes before to end the bulk collection, he told reporters after emerging from the chamber. By slowing the process down, talking about the Patriot Act, we now will end bulk collection of records by the government.
McConnell introduced a handful of amendments Sunday evening on behalf of himself and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Paul and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also attempted to bring up amendments of their own, but they were blocked.
Pauls opposition will push votes on both those amendments and the final bill back to Tuesday at the earliest, and potentially Wednesday.
The House would then either need to vote on the new bill or hash out the details in a conference committee.
Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) an NSA critic warned senators against adding amendments to the legislation that could potentially weaken the bill in the eyes of its supporters.
On the House side there's not support for a more watered down version of the Freedom Act, he said. If they want to get something passed through the House they need to make it better not worse.
-----snip
The advance of the USA Freedom Act was a defeat for McConnell, who supported a straight extension of the Patriot Act. He and other Senate hawks had tried to win an extension, but fell short of a majority in the Senate in a vote earlier this month.
More of the "Smoke & Mirrors" at.....
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/243575-senate-advances-nsa-reform-but-program-to-lapse-at-midnight
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)nvme
(860 posts)is this the meme. I just keep recalling the mushroom cloud
Johonny
(20,968 posts)Given a month ago the bill that finally squeezed through was agreed on by the house and Obama it would appear like a gimmie to pass. The odd display of McConnell trying to jam the Patriot act through congress given recent court ruling seemed like an attempt to keep hard liners on the NSA primary ammunition. There seems no doubt a renewed Patriot act was heading to more court dates. On the other side was Rand Paul trying to kill everything and pissing off his whole party seems like more fuel to pile on his fire. No doubt the subject will be fought out in the coming primary to come. Meanwhile given the "change" in the new bill it isn't clear the lapse is that big a deal. I doubt the new data collection method was going to be up in running anyways.
Of course a lone wolf might kill us at any minute, why a lone wolf's data needs to be collected using special powers I never understood. If he's communicating with other people then he isn't a lone wolf, if he's a lone wolf... there isn't any communications to collect hence the name lone wolf. They've never used the provision, I wonder why
Man from Pickens
(1,713 posts)the detail seems to indicate a bit rockier road