Executive Power Reduced For First Time Since 9/11
The USA Freedom Act, another poorly-named bill, has become law.
So as of today, for the first time in 14 years, you can make phone calls without the NSA hoovering up the records of who you called and for how long.
Of course, it wasn’t until two years ago, when NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden released a trove of top-secret documents to journalists, that Americans even knew this was happening…
The Internet advocacy group Fight for the Future and progressive nonprofits CREDO and Demand Progress declared in a joint statement: “The expiration of key Patriot Act provisions — even if only temporary — is a victory for the countless civil liberties activists in every congressional district in the country who, since Edward Snowden blew the whistle on government surveillance, have fought for real reform. It demonstrates that the public can win battles in Congress that just a few years ago we were barely able to fight at all.”
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
12 responses to Executive Power Reduced For First Time Since 9/11
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
OldLefty June 3rd, 2015 at 10:16
Not the first;
The first was when Obama made the decision to ask Congress to authorize a strike on Syria;
From CNN; “Is Obama setting bad precedent for future presidents?”
By Leigh Ann Caldwell, CNN
updated 12:53 PM EDT, Wed September
4, 2013
“But in his surprise decision, did Obama cede presidential power?”
The one who has worked tirelessly at this since 2001 is Patrick Leahy.
illinoisboy1977 June 3rd, 2015 at 10:27
He wasn’t setting a bad precedent, though. The law clearly allows the president to authorize military action, for up to 48 hours, without even notifying Congress. He went to Congress, as a courtesy. Nothing more.
OldLefty June 3rd, 2015 at 10:37
Some say the concession to Congress sets a new precedent that bodes well for future Congresses and not so well for future presidents.
“This is a big deal and will tie the hands of future presidents,” said Peter Spiro, law professor at Temple University.
Spiro said this is the first time a president has sought authorization from Congress for a limited military mission. He said it will limit the flexibility of future presidents to make quick decisions, potentially putting U.S. national security at risk.
illinoisboy1977 June 3rd, 2015 at 10:47
As long as the law is still on the books, in black and white, future Presidents may catch some flak for not extending the same “courtesy”, but the courts will rule in favor of written law.
Suzanne McFly June 3rd, 2015 at 12:15
There is no chance this will ever truly end. They are simply throwing us some cookies telling us they are fighting for our privacy. When the law is reimplemented, they will say we looked over the important parts of the bill are realized we need it in order to protect your lives. They are just feeding their contributors by giving them contracts needed to support the paranoia.
Jerry Brown June 3rd, 2015 at 17:44
Rand Paul immediately sends out a mass mailing asking for money claim he put an end to this ‘illegal’ activity.
Suzanne McFly June 3rd, 2015 at 17:59
Like father, like son.
Bunya June 3rd, 2015 at 14:42
I disagree. I haven’t trusted anything anybody from the government told me since the Nixon administration. They’ll keep spying. They just won’t let us know about it.
OldLefty June 3rd, 2015 at 15:05
And don’t forget that the moment people are scared, they demand this.
Remember the , “I don’t care if they tap my phones… I have nothing to hide”.
Remember when the NYT broke this story in 2006 and Just days after the NSA story was published, ‘Varney told Fox News viewers:
“Should the New York Times be tried for treason?” (just for reporting the story??
Meanwhile, what happened to;
Pioneer Groundbreaker:
Spy Agency Sought U.S. Call Records Before 9/11, Lawyers Say
By Andrew Harris – June 30, 200618:46 EDT
June 30 (Bloomberg) —
The U.S. National Security Agency asked AT&T Inc. to help it set up a
domestic call monitoring site seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks,
lawyers claimed June 23 in court papers filed in New York federal court.
Bunya June 3rd, 2015 at 17:30
I agree. Threating folks with “smoking gun/mushroom cloud” scenarios, tends to get the feeble minded worked up.
Jerry Brown June 3rd, 2015 at 18:02
The only people that have to worry about data collection is pedophiles
Jerry Brown June 3rd, 2015 at 17:43
Our country is more in danger of a terrorist attack now and these morons take away our first line of defense? Oh and they cut the State Dept budget by 15% too.