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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBreaking: Senate Approves the "Freedom Act" without McConnell/Burr Amendments in 67 to 32 Vote
Senate approves sweeping reforms to NSA spying programs
Greg Nash
By Julian Hattem - 06/02/15 04:18 PM EDT
The Senate on Tuesday sent legislation reforming the nations surveillance laws to President Obamas desk days after a stalemate caused the National Security Agencys powers to lapse.
The 67-32 vote for the USA Freedom Act came more than 36 hours after three parts of the Patriot Act expired, which caused the NSA to wind down its programs.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a political blow during the bruising fight over the legislation known as the USA Freedom Act. He and other hawkish Republican senators opposed the bill even after it was approved by the House in a broad, bipartisan vote.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) lambasted McConnell for the lapse in the Patriot Act provisions, arguing it never would have happened if the GOP leader hasnt spent so much time on trade legislation in the previous month.
Adding further insult to McConnells injury, he saw all three of the amendments to the legislation he supported die on Tuesday.
McConnell was also thwarted by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the presidential candidate and his erstwhile ally.
Paul blocked several efforts by McConnell to extend the existing authority for the NSA powers before the Memorial Day recess, which all but ensured a lapse in the authority. Paul has made opposing the NSA a central part of his presidential campaign, but his efforts over the last few weeks clearly irritated many of his Senate colleagues.
Passage of the law is a significant victory for critics of the NSA, as for the first time since that post-9/11 national security law was passed, Congress voted to affirmatively rein in the nations surveillance powers.
Fittingly, passage of the legislation which would end the National Security Agencys (NSA) controversial collection of bulk records about Americans phone calls came almost exactly two years to the day that government leaker Edward Snowden first revealed the existence of the program to the world.
Its an historic moment, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) one of the authors of the bill said immediately after the vote. Its the first major overhaul in government surveillance laws in decades and add significant privacy protections for the American people.
Once President Obama signs the bill which is likely to be quickly three parts of the Patriot Act that expired at midnight on Sunday would go back online, bringing with them authorities that the government says are critical to protecting the nation.
The legislation will end the NSAs collection of phone metadata which include the phone numbers involved in a call as well as the time a phone call occurred and the length of the call. The NSA program does not collect the actual content of peoples conversations.
Nobodys civil liberties are being violated here, McConnell insisted moments before the vote.
The bill will also limit other types of data collection, as well as add new transparency measures and place a new expert panel on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees intelligence activities but currently only hears the governments side of an argument.
The House passed the legislation 338-88 last month, which many saw as a ringing endorsement of its reforms.
The bill hit a series of snags in the Senate, however.
After lawmakers in the upper chamber initially blocked it and a short-term measure offered by McConnell, the Senate was forced to return for a rare Sunday evening vote, mere hours before the spying powers lapsed. But McConnell was outplayed by Paul a candidate for president who forced the temporary lapse.
More at.......
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/243791-senate-approves-nsa-reforms
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Even his most bitter enemies at this point must concede that he was the catalyst who changed everything.
We would still be under unconstitutional surveillance right now if not for him
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)many dems wanted to reign in these authorities from the start. And Obama is going to sign it, which means he's giving up some of the authority he once had ... when does any president do that? Never.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Rand and others wouldn't be grandstanding on these revelations if they were still classified. No political benefit. We wouldn't even be talking about it. The months of public debate would never have happened and our lawmakers would never have heard our voices.
Without public pressure, I think it's obvious that mass surveillance easily gets reauthorized
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)On DU, sure. A few other sites, ok.
But the average American is not thinking about this at all.
Most will not know anything changed at all.
Dems have been concerned since this passed. Republicans became concerned when they realized Obama now had the power.
This improvement still allows the collection of the data. But the telcos hold it, not the NSA. It's an improvement, but it doesnt really deal with much of what he claims.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)He obviously thinks there are votes to be had on this issue. Whether we believe it or not isn't important. What is important is the fact that he and others ended the mass surveillance because they saw politicial gain in it.
What votes could any of these guys get by ending a secret program?
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)Otherwise it isn't likely. I suppose Obama could do a lameduck pardon, as well. But thus far the Administrations argument has been that everything was done right in that situation. I don't see them backing off on that, until it effectively no longer matters.
Bryant
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)I just can't see it any time soon.
The end game is played out. It's over. No harm caused except to pride. That's the worst part. After Monday, he's exiled in Russia for exposing a program that turned out to be illegal and unwanted.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)I still have my doubts if what they were doing was all that horrible. With the proper controls in place I think I would be ok with it.
kenfrequed
(7,865 posts)I honestly think that the fear of terrorism has done enough damage to our economy and civil liberties.
My only complaint is that Rand Paul got to take credit for something that had much broader Democratic support than Republican!
DCBob
(24,689 posts)The issue is what to do about it. Bush/Cheney/McCain/etc would start wars to deal with it. Obama and most Democrats prefer to use intelligence. The fact is our intelligence capability has now been restricted.
Response to KoKo (Original post)
kenfrequed This message was self-deleted by its author.
Renew Deal
(81,873 posts)Only 67 voted in favor. I think those are the cloture numbers.
kenfrequed
(7,865 posts)Here are the actual roll call numbers:
http://therightscoop.com/usa-freedom-act-passes-the-senate-heads-to-obama-desk-for-approval/
Renew Deal
(81,873 posts)Thanks.
The only Dem to vote no was Tammy Baldwin. A bunch of republicans voted yes including Cruz.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Come on, the NSA following laws Congress passed?
KoKo
(84,711 posts)"Smoke and Mirriors"... We can't figure out what they've done until something Passes in Congress or Doesn't until the Parliamentary Procedures and the Rest of the Wheeling & Dealing amongst the Lobbyists plays out.
Then we have to rely on a Corporate Stressed Press to give us the Details and, to be fair, even an Uncorrupted Press has little better trying to report on this than we out here do with what we can understand given the manipulation and back room deals with Lobbyists do before Legislation even gets to the House or Senate Floor.
So...there's that. The whole system of American Government has been reduced to so much disinformation and manipulation that NO ONE KNOWS! I think even many in our CONGRESS don't KNOW. It seems they don't read much and only the Privileged Committee Members get to read the "Secret Info" and they aren't allowed to take notes or take much time to read.
What a MESS!
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Unfortunately.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)For some of us ....its a Disaster given what we grew up being Taught and what We See these decades
Yes...I've read Zinn and Chomsky, others. Still...it boggles the mind what some of us see going on. I never imagined the Power Grab would go this far.
Lots of Work to do....
I simply don't envision the LED lights on acres of server racks blinking out in Utah over this.