The Week Ahead in Congress -- Renewing the PATRIOT Act

[The Hatter]

The Week Ahead in Congress -- Renewing the PATRIOT Act - Blog - OpenCongress

The House is back in session this week, and they’re kicking off their return with a vote on a bill that seems to be popular with members of Congress, in both parties, but hugely unpopular with just about everyone else — renewing the USA PATRIOT Act. That’s right, the Republicans’ bill to extend a few controversial surveillance programs that are set to expire at the end of this month (see below for explanation) has been rushed to the floor calendar without a single committee hearing or a proper mark-up. As you can see on the schedule below, they are trying to pass it under the suspension of the rules procedure, which means that there will only be 40 minutes of debate allowed and no amendments can be offered.

On February 28, three provisions of the PATRIOT Act are scheduled to expire. They include the authority for “roving” wiretaps that allows the government to monitor computers that may occasionally be used by suspected terrorists, the “tangible records provision” that requires banks, telecoms and libraries to hand over any customer information the government requests without informing the customer, and the “lone wolf” provision allowing the government to track international terrorist groups. The Republicans’ PATRIOT Act extension bill would extend these for one year with no new restrictions or oversight provisions. Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith [R, TX-21], who is forwarding the bill out of his committee and onto the floor for the votes, has called it “a step toward the long-term reauthorization” of the provisions.

Mind you, the Democrats in Congress are generally supportive of extending the PATRIOT Act as well, so you can expect this to sail through the Senate in the next couple weeks. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Leahy [D, VT] has already offered his own bill to extend the provisions (S.193), although with a few more restrictions on how the government can request personal information (i.e. “tangible records&#8221.

Disgusting and Disgraceful.

 

[kyzr]

yawn. gotta keep an eye on those high-risk folks...

 

[Oddball]

Nope...Not a dime's worth of difference between remocrats and depublicans.

 

[blu]

all the tea partiers are going to vote to expand the biggest expansion of government in decades all while parading around as "small government conservatives"

 

[The Joe]

It looks like the Republicans will still be holding the nails for the Democrats building our coffins.

 

[Dr.Drock]

yawn. gotta keep an eye on those high-risk folks...

You've got people who support the Constitution and people who support the Patriot Act. These documents are total opposites.


You choose a side, I'll be on the side that about 1-5% of americans still reside on sadly.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I know Obama will veto this horrible, Bush/Cheney inspired attack on our Rights and Constitution.

He would never support illegal wiretaps and rendition.

 

[Avorysuds]

all the tea partiers are going to vote to expand the biggest expansion of government in decades all while parading around as "small government conservatives"

Omg omg like omg let me play!!!

Democrats/Liberals/Progressives will expand and support one of the biggest expansions of Government in decades!!! With a Democrat president (Obama) and Dem Senate we can be sure this will get passed!!!! Yay!!!

Change we can believe in!

No We Can't!

 

[Dr.Drock]

all the tea partiers are going to vote to expand the biggest expansion of government in decades all while parading around as "small government conservatives"

Omg omg like omg let me play!!!

Democrats/Liberals/Progressives will expand and support one of the biggest expansions of Government in decades!!! With a Democrat president (Obama) and Dem Senate we can be sure this will get passed!!!! Yay!!!

Change we can believe in!

No We Can't!

Like everything else their excuse for expanding it is that republicans started it.

Like if your brother takes a 20 out of your wallet than you have an excuse to rob a bank.

 

[uscitizen]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

 

[FA_Q2]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

Republicans don't like Obama because they are like democrats, partisan hacks. Conservatives don't like Obama because of what he stands for and those same conservatives don't like bush. the problem is that with all this labeling, the republicans are hiding under the conservatives.

all the tea partiers are going to vote to expand the biggest expansion of government in decades all while parading around as "small government conservatives"

Absolutely laughable that you would still try and pin this on the republicans when it is the democrats that control this bill. Should it pass the house then those republicans will be culpable in this crap but lest you forget - THERE ARE 2 OTHER BODIES OF GOVERNMENT THAT MUST PASS THIS CRAP THAT ARE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED. Face it, the dems love the expansion of power as much as the republicans do and the are set on continuing it as much as they can. It is disgusting that you not only support the bullshit tactics of the left blaming bush for your mistakes but that you are pushing the same crap.

I know Obama will veto this horrible, Bush/Cheney inspired attack on our Rights and Constitution.

He would never support illegal wiretaps and rendition.

We'll see about that. I have a feeling that your hope and change crap will fail you yet again.

 

[Dr.Drock]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

Republicans don't like Obama because they are like democrats, partisan hacks. Conservatives don't like Obama because of what he stands for and those same conservatives don't like bush. the problem is that with all this labeling, the republicans are hiding under the conservatives.

all the tea partiers are going to vote to expand the biggest expansion of government in decades all while parading around as "small government conservatives"

Absolutely laughable that you would still try and pin this on the republicans when it is the democrats that control this bill. Should it pass the house then those republicans will be culpable in this crap but lest you forget - THERE ARE 2 OTHER BODIES OF GOVERNMENT THAT MUST PASS THIS CRAP THAT ARE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED. Face it, the dems love the expansion of power as much as the republicans do and the are set on continuing it as much as they can. It is disgusting that you not only support the bullshit tactics of the left blaming bush for your mistakes but that you are pushing the same crap.

I know Obama will veto this horrible, Bush/Cheney inspired attack on our Rights and Constitution.

He would never support illegal wiretaps and rendition.

We'll see about that. I have a feeling that your hope and change crap will fail you yet again.

I'm pretty sure Mad Scientist was being sarcastic, I could be wrong though, but it'd be a first .

 

[FA_Q2]

I'm pretty sure Mad Scientist was being sarcastic, I could be wrong though, but it'd be a first .

LOL, now I see it. Sorry mad scientist for believing you to be completely ignorant.

 

[Avorysuds]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

oh shit dude, my + rep didn't work!

However.... In Republicans defense, most voters that are conservative or just "Republican" in this case didn't like Bush. Bush had I think low of 28% approval rating.

Now what I don't understand is why so many Dems (voters) still hate on Bush when as you said, Obama is really just BushIII. Now all of a sudden war is good, fuck it, it's great because it's intellectually though out now...

One of the only issues liberals don’t seem to agree with the Obama/Bush policies is Illegal Immigration, weird…

 

[uscitizen]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

oh shit dude, my + rep didn't work!

However.... In Republicans defense, most voters that are conservative or just "Republican" in this case didn't like Bush. Bush had I think low of 28% approval rating.

Now what I don't understand is why so many Dems (voters) still hate on Bush when as you said, Obama is really just BushIII. Now all of a sudden war is good, fuck it, it's great because it's intellectually though out now...

One of the only issues liberals don’t seem to agree with the Obama/Bush policies is Illegal Immigration, weird…

Bush liked the cheap labor illegals provide. I think he just preteneded to be against illegals.
If any president/congress was really against it they would pass laws with some teeth to punish those who knowingly hire illegals.
That is the first step.

 

[Dr.Drock]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

oh shit dude, my + rep didn't work!

However.... In Republicans defense, most voters that are conservative or just "Republican" in this case didn't like Bush. Bush had I think low of 28% approval rating.

Now what I don't understand is why so many Dems (voters) still hate on Bush when as you said, Obama is really just BushIII. Now all of a sudden war is good, fuck it, it's great because it's intellectually though out now...

One of the only issues liberals don’t seem to agree with the Obama/Bush policies is Illegal Immigration, weird…

Bush liked the cheap labor illegals provide. I think he just preteneded to be against illegals.
If any president/congress was really against it they would pass laws with some teeth to punish those who knowingly hire illegals.
That is the first step.

Yeah imagine how easy border security would be, move troops from either Germany/Japan/Vietnam/South Koret etc to our border and it'd be fixed tomorrow.

Nobody in the federal gov't cares about border or port security.

 

[FA_Q2]

I still do not understand why republicans do not like Obama, aka Bush III.

oh shit dude, my + rep didn't work!

However.... In Republicans defense, most voters that are conservative or just "Republican" in this case didn't like Bush. Bush had I think low of 28% approval rating.

Now what I don't understand is why so many Dems (voters) still hate on Bush when as you said, Obama is really just BushIII. Now all of a sudden war is good, fuck it, it's great because it's intellectually though out now...

One of the only issues liberals don’t seem to agree with the Obama/Bush policies is Illegal Immigration, weird…

Bush liked the cheap labor illegals provide. I think he just preteneded to be against illegals.
If any president/congress was really against it they would pass laws with some teeth to punish those who knowingly hire illegals.
That is the first step.

Of course, give 'em drivers licenses, aid, prevent the cops from enforcing the laws, refuse to deport them, create sanctuary cities but punish those evil businesses that hired an illegal without knowing it. Have you any clue what the actual problem is?

What happens to those that hire lawn care workers and they turn out to be illegal's? Nannies? Or does every housewife need to have the resources to verify status?
The problem is far more than punishing businesses. Granted, there needs to be punishments for those businesses that hire illegal's intentionally or a simple system that checks status but that is a minute fix in the overall picture. The greatest immigration problems come from the drug runners anyway but the fix to THAT particular problem is a whole thread all its own and has been done before.

 

[Avorysuds]

Haha I didn't mean to turn it into a Illegal immigration thread, sorry... I know it's a super hot topic.