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Patriot Act Expansion Fails In The House (thehill.com)
An anonymous reader write: The "Anti-terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act" failed in the U.S. Congress on a vote held earlier this week. "Many libertarians warned of potential privacy violations if the measure went into effect," reported The Hill, "which helped prevent it from reaching the necessary two-thirds majority to pass through the fast-track process under which it was considered." The bill would've expanded the number of crimes which would trigger the expanded investigation powers, including crimes covered by the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. "The Patriot Act should not be casually expanded," warned the House Liberty in a statement, arguing the bill would "permit the government to demand information on any American from any financial institution merely upon reasonable suspicion."
In a related story, a new campaign ad is criticizing Senator Russ Feingold for being the only Senator to vote against the original Patriot Act in October of 2001. Shipped to TV stations Thursday night, its narration begins "Islamic terrorists slaughtering innocents. And when Congress gave law enforcement the tools to keep Americans safe from international terror, only one senator voted no: Russ Feingold." After Friday's attack in Nice, Feingold's opponent attempted to reschedule the ads until a later date, but was unable to stop them from airing on at least three stations.
In a related story, a new campaign ad is criticizing Senator Russ Feingold for being the only Senator to vote against the original Patriot Act in October of 2001. Shipped to TV stations Thursday night, its narration begins "Islamic terrorists slaughtering innocents. And when Congress gave law enforcement the tools to keep Americans safe from international terror, only one senator voted no: Russ Feingold." After Friday's attack in Nice, Feingold's opponent attempted to reschedule the ads until a later date, but was unable to stop them from airing on at least three stations.
Feingold is ahead in all the polls, so........
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
I think calling it A ISIS Act didn't help.
Encouraging that this outcome is possible today, even after the spate of attacks at home and world-wide.
From TFA, 147 Republicans and 82 Democrats voted in favor of the expansion, and 86 Republicans and 91 Democrats voted against the expansion. So 63% of voting Republicans support expanding the Patriot Act versus 47% of voting Democrats. Please keep that in mind if you're the sort of person who believes that the Republican party supports small government and civil rights.
Note also that this only failed because it was on a fast track that requires 2/3rds majority; it almost certainly will pass eventually (with a 50%+1 majority), thanks to Republicans.
Its title reminds me... what else is strength? You do the math.
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
"Feingold's opponent attempted to reschedule the ads until a later date, but was unable to stop them from airing on at least three stations"
Like I try to reach for the elevator's "open" button when somebody's running. Half-heartedly.
...what was never in place.
You feel the same way about the ACLUs ignoring the 2nd amendment?
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
"Anti-terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act"
Seriously, who names these stupid things? How about we call it one of these:
"Government Spying on its Own Citizens is Unconstitutional Act"?
"Acting Like Citizens Are All Terrorists Is Wrong Act"?
"Giving Up Your Rights Is Weakness Act"?
"Calling People Who Give Up Liberty Claiming To Be Patriots Is an Unpatriotic Act Act"?
Trump will reinstate it, no worries.
You're thinking of Chuck Norris.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
The "Anti-terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act" is the most mis-named bill in the history of anything anywhere.
It should be named the "Paw Through Your Data And Spy On You At Will Without Any Pesky Warrants Act".
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
This is like the civil rights legislation in 1964. It needed lots of republican support because so many democrats were against it.
You should study your history more. This bears zero resemblence to 1964. "Democrats" who voted against that bill switched parties shortly thereafter and those people are now solidly republicans. In fact it was that exact bill that resulted in the south voting solidly republican ever since then. This bill will have no such fallout even though in some ways perhaps it should.
I find it ironic that the party that freed the slaves is now the party whose core is now scared racist white people.
The A-ISIS Act? Seriously? Did they think that through at all? The jokes just write themselves.
There are vastly more resources going into protecting the 2nd amendment via the NRA than there are going into the ACLU, and there are other amendments (not the least of which is the 4th) which are in more dire trouble right now. Why does the ACLU need to focus on the 2nd?
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
July 14 2016: "France will not extend the state of emergency imposed after last year's Islamist militant attacks in Paris in November beyond 26 July"
.. The Minister of the Interior may impose the house arrest, the place it determines, any person residing in the area set by the decree mentioned in Article 2 .. in any case, the arrest will have the effect of creating camps would be held the persons mentioned in the first paragraph
..
.. The Minister of the Interior, for the entire territory is established the state of emergency, and the prefect, in the department may order the temporary closure of theaters, pubs and places of any meeting Nature in areas determined by the decree provided for in Article 2. ref google granslate
July 15 2016: "Terror attack kills scores in Nice, France"
July 16 2016: "France extends state of emergency"
'The declaration of a state of emergency empowers the prefect whose department is wholly or partly included in a constituency in Article 2:'
1. To prohibit the movement of people and vehicles in places and times fixed by decree;
2. To establish, by decree, areas of protection or security where the presence of individuals is regulated
3. To prohibit the stay in any part of the department to any person seeking to hinder in any way the action of the authorities
I. - The decree declaring or law extending the state of emergency may, by an express provision conferring on the administrative authorities mentioned in Article 8 the authority to order searches anywhere, including a home of day and night
II. - Minister of the Interior may take all measures to ensure the interruption of any online public communication service leading to the commission of acts of terrorism or glorifying.
So what did law enforcement do with the tools to keep Americans safe from international terror they were given in 2001? The confirmed number of thwarted terrorist-related activities due to intelligence gathering is 1, a guy sending a few thousand dollars to an Islamistic organization akin to al-Qaeda.
One confirmed arrest for the complete abandonment of communication privacy world-wide over a decade, at a cost of several dozens of billions of dollars. All the other "terrorist plots" could not be confirmed or were initiated by the FBI in the first place, entrapping some fools not otherwise able to perform or justify such activities.
Voting it down let's everyone think that hey, Congress is looking out for us. They will get it attached to an Omnibus bill at some point later this year or next and get it passed with nobody looking because you can't stop funding the government....Just look at CISA back in December.
They don't. But they also don't need to totally ignore it.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
I'd rather not return to blaming sons for the sins of the father (or vice versa).
The fact the ACLU is with you two pinheads is exactly my point.
Does the first also only cover printing presses available in 1776?
Do the clear words (e.g. 'the right of the people to') not mean anything concrete in the other amendments as well?
Fuck your apologetics.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
the good guys win
Not necessarily. While the "Anti-terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act" has failed, the "War is Peace Act" and the "Freedom is Slavery Act" are still on the books.
Remember kiddies: Information Sharing is Strength!
But don't get confused --- only some kinds of information... you know, the ones which don't pay our campaign budgets...
Really, this just cries for someone to make a parody mashup using MLP.
As usual, the biased idiots only tell half the story... What the AC conveniently forgot to mention, is that after being passed by a Republican Congress it will eventually become law once a Democratic President signs it into law.