US House vote rejects "Patriot Act" extensions

[Livewire]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12400834

The US House failed to reach a 2/3 majority needed to keep certain, key provisions of the Patriot Act into law. Unless the House manages to get a 2/3 majority vote by the end of February 2011, these "Antiterrorism" provisions will expire, which will severely inhibit the nearly ten year old law.

Discuss?

 

[Feign]

I'm glad it won't be extended. I still stand by what I believe that security would have remained the same if it was kept the same even after 9/11. It was only that the box cutters were not initially detected.

 

[Livewire]

Good riddance I say. The Patriot Act was a gross abuse of executive wartime powers, and Bush knew that full well. He used the guise of National Security threats and fear of another terrorist attack to gently push this through Congress. Now, did it catch some terrorist and terrorist activity? I'm sure it did. But it also allowed the Government to legally spy on people suspected of terrorism.

 

[Feign]

In my city recently, they've arrested a man suspected of being a terrorist, and he is facing extradition to the US. Now he is trying to fight it (obviously because he knows that the Canadian government might just slap his hands whereas the American government would cut them off instead). Anywho, a statement from his wife says he a loving husband and father. He had immigrated to Canada but was suspected of things back to his original home (I think the assertion is he was already a Canadian citizen when he did his illegal activities).

What I am astounded by is the reaction. Like that people automatically believe he is guilty and are already inciting that he should be put to death and such... I kind of feel sad when I seem to be one of the few rational people who would like to wait for evidence in the matter before charges are laid...

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I'm a Republican and I oppose the Patriot Act. I'm more on the GOP's Libertarian wing, though. I see this as a gross expansion of the government that I cannot support. The government can concern itself with national security, but those it accuses deserve due process of law.

I find it funny that Obama campaigned against the Patriot Act in 2008, but now the White House backs the bill AND would have preferred a longer extension.

 

[Alice]

Good. I understand why it was created, but it really doesn't need to exist anymore.

 

[Morkula]

The Patriot Act is nothing but a gross overreach of government powers thrust upon paranoid Americans after 9/11 in the name of "counter-terrorism". No doubt it's found some terrorists, but it's caused more innocent people to be arrested than it's found actual terrorists and it goes against the very principles the country was founded upon. Hopefully it's just allowed to expire with no further debate or any "deals" being made.

 

[Livewire]

I'm a Republican and I oppose the Patriot Act. I'm more on the GOP's Libertarian wing, though. I see this as a gross expansion of the government that I cannot support. The government can concern itself with national security, but those it accuses deserve due process of law.

I find it funny that Obama campaigned against the Patriot Act in 2008, but now the White House backs the bill AND would have preferred a longer extension.

From what I've heard, The White House wants in enacted until 2013, and evidently after then the entire law would be allowed to expire permanently.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

From what I've heard, The White House wants in enacted until 2013, and evidently after then the entire law would be allowed to expire permanently.

I also find it funny that 2013 is when Obama will leave office if he loses his re-election bid. I wouldn't be surprised to see him change his position to extending it until 2017 if he wins re-election.

 

[Netto Azure]

The "USPATRIOT Act" is a gross over-reach of Executive power. So I'd rather have it completely expire. It crazy that it codifies 48 hour detention without haebeas corpus under the guise of Judicial precedence. (The police have 48 hours apparently according to the Supreme Court to bring you in front of a judge under the probable cause precedent.)

 

[twocows]

It will still be extended. The vote failed to pass the 2/3 required for the expediting procedure but only by 7 votes. If they reintroduce it under the standard voting procedure (they will), it will easily pass.

Your representatives, hard at work rubber stamping bills to pay for their solid gold mansions. Good to know that nearly 2/3 of them have no integrity.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

This just in: the House passed the extension!

 

[twocows]

Senate passed the extension, too. Take a good look at these 12 senators, for they're the few with any integrity left. https://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/2206-Senate-passes-PATRIOT-Act-extension-86-12

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Think Obama will sign or veto it?

 

[Netto Azure]

Senate passed the extension, too. Take a good look at these 12 senators, for they're the few with any integrity left. https://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/2206-Senate-passes-PATRIOT-Act-extension-86-12

Sen. Max Baucus [D, MT]
Sen. Mark Begich [D, AK]
Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
Sen. Thomas Harkin [D, IA]
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D, NJ]
Sen. Mike Lee [R, UT]
Sen. Jeff Merkley [D, OR]
Sen. Patty Murray [D, WA]
Sen. Rand Paul [R, KY]
Sen. Bernie Sanders [I, VT]
Sen. Jon Tester [D, MT]
Sen. Tom Udall [D, NM]

Rand Paul, Bernie Sanders, and Max Bauchus?

I never thought I'd see the day those 3 agree on something. O.O

 

[FreakyLocz14]

It seems the Tea Party Senators all agree on opposing the extension (Rubio didn't vote on it). As a Californian, I'm ashamed of Senators Boxer and Feinstein for voting for the extension. I would assume such staunch liberals would oppose the George Bush-era law. Well, they actually did oppose the Patriot Act when Bush was President. With 86 votes, both parties are to blame for this. I swear I might vote third party in 2012 if a common sense conservative (and I mean a REAL conservative that believes in limited government and respect for individual liberty; not a fundie, neocon phony) isn't nominated for the GOP ticket.

 

[Livewire]

Rand Paul, Bernie Sanders, and Max Bauchus?

I never thought I'd see the day those 3 agree on something. O.O

o___o I don't believe it. That's amazing, frankly.

Nice to see my Senator Sherrod Brown on that list. ^o^

 

[Netto Azure]

It seems the Tea Party Senators all agree on opposing the extension (Rubio didn't vote on it). As a Californian I'm ashamed of Senators Boxer and Feinstein for voting for the extension. I would assume such staunch liberals would oppose the George Bush-era. Well, they actually did oppose the Patriot Act when Bush was President. With 86 votes, both parties are to blame for this. I swear I might voted third party in 2012 if a common sense conservative (and I mean a REAL conservative that believes in limited government and respect for individual liberty; not a fundie, neocon phony) isn't nominated for the GOP ticket.

I agree with you on that. Sadly people are afraid of appearing "soft" on defense issues. :/

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I agree with you on that. Sadly people are afraid of appearing "soft" on defense issues. :/

I wonder how old someone has to be run for Assembly? All this BS happening makes me want to do like John Boehner said in his victory speech when the GOP took back the House. He said, "And when I saw how out of touch Washington had become with the core values of this country, I put my name forward and ran for office." Pretty much the state-level version of that.

 

[RattataL72]

Awesome. Too bad the only Senator to read/vote against it, Russ Feingold, just got voted out in wisconsin in favor of some herp-derp one-liner fake "man of the people" candidate.

Why?

Because "it sucks right now, so i'm voting people out without knowing or caring about anyones stances"