The NSA is Out of Control
Rep. Diane Russell
First, they told us it was “just metadata.” Then they told us, they weren’t monitoring our private conversations, and on and on.
The NSA is not telling us the truth about the vast spying that is threatening our international relations, jeopardizing our national security and violating the privacy of millions of Americans.
This week, Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R ) and Sen. Leahy (D) introduced the bipartisan USA Freedom Act in both the US House and US Senate. There are currently 16 Senate and 70 House cosponsors on the bill. Hopefully, the bipartisan team gives the bill a real chance at passing, and it has strong substance.
I’m headed to DC early next week. Help me deliver 40,000 signatures to members of the US Senate Intelligence Committee!
Add Your Name in Support of the USA Freedom Act Today!
Specifically, the bill amends Section 215 of the Patriot Act, the section that is used to justify the collection of phone records from nearly every American every day, so that it cannot be used in such a sweeping manner. FISA will still be authorized to issue subpoenas, but only under a narrow construction. The subpoenas must directly pertain to specific terrorists, their associates, or their daily activities. It can’t just be construed to sweep up every contact across the country on the off chance they might find a needle buried in a haystack of innocent people.
Equally important, the bill modifies the FISA Amendments Act (FAA). This is the law that made the warrantless wiretapping program legal. The USA Freedom Act adds a restriction preventing government agents from searching FAA-collected data for US personal data without a court order. I’ve included more information on the petition page, including links to the overview and actual bill.
Freedom is at the heart of America, and we are simply not free if our daily lives are monitored. Whether it’s phone calls, Google and Yahoo searches, Skype conversations or even Microsoft Office documents in SkyDrive, we should not be jeopardizing our international relations, or our own personal privacy.
Today’s Tweet
Onward,
Diane Russell
Maine State Representative
Portland
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