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Freedom? Then You Won’t Like the FREEDOM Act
By Ron Paul
March 24,
2020 "Information
Clearing House"
- Last Monday, a bipartisan group of Senators and a
coalition including libertarian and progressive
activists thwarted a scheme to ram through the
Senate legislation renewing three provisions of the
USA FREEDOM Act (previously known as the USA PATRIOT
Act). The bill had already been rushed through the
House of Representatives, and most expected it to
sail through the Senate. But, instead, Senate
leadership had to settle for a 77-day extension.
Senate leadership was also forced to allow
consideration of several amendments at a later date.
Included is Sen. Rand Paul’s amendment that would
forbid the FISA court from issuing warrants
targeting American citizens.
Deep state supporters claim the expiring business
records provision (which authorizes the collection
of our communications and was at the center of
Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations), lone wolf
provision (which allows government to subject an
individual with no known ties to terrorists to
warrantless surveillance), and roving wiretaps
provision (which allows government to monitor
communications on any device that may be used by a
targeted individual) are necessary to keep Americans
safe. But, since Congress first passed the PATRIOT
Act almost 20 years ago, mass surveillance,
warrantless wiretapping, and bulk data collection
have not stopped a single terrorist attack. |
