Senate approves USA Freedom Act 67-32. Amendments failed. [Mod Edit]

[eleganz]

Oh well, it was good while it lasted. I wonder how many votes Rand's amendments got, it paint a bigger picture of how his fellow Senators felt about the last two weeks.

The Senate has approved the USA Freedom Act, which will alter the way U.S. agencies conduct surveillance and gather data. A final vote on the bill came late Tuesday afternoon, after amendments to the bill failed.

President Obama can now sign the bill into law as soon as it reaches him, after an expedited enrollment process.

Update at 4:30 p.m. ET: The Bill Has Passed

In the final tally of the vote, 67 senators were in favor of the measure and 32 against. The legislation needed a simple majority to pass.

Last November, the Freedom Act failed in the Senate after not receiving enough support to avoid a filibuster. Its critics say the act doesn't go far enough to curtail surveillance programs that can access huge databases of information about Americans.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the measure today, as he did last fall. Also voting against the bill Tuesday was independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

The lead sponsor of the bill in the House, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., promises it will "rein in the dragnet collection of data" by the NSA and others, and "increase transparency of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court."

Calling today's passage "a milestone," ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer says, "This is the most important surveillance reform bill since 1978, and its passage is an indication that Americans are no longer willing to give the intelligence agencies a blank check."


http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...ign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150602

 

[RecoveringNeoCon]

Two days of freedom was just too much.

 

[Sam I am]

The one time I thought that I had the jump on one of these stories, someone had already posted a thread.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nsa-snooping/senate-vote-measure-reform-nsa-surveillance-n368341


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At least they didn't pass it by as large a margin as last time

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/107-2001/s313

 

[specsaregood]

Oh well, it was good while it lasted. I wonder how many votes Rand's amendments got, it paint a bigger picture of how his fellow Senators felt about the last two weeks.

I don't believe either of his amendments were allowed to be voted on.

 

[Created4]

The one time I thought that I had the jump on one of these stories, someone had already posted a thread.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nsa-snooping/senate-vote-measure-reform-nsa-surveillance-n368341

There was a actually a thread before this one, but it is all the same news....

 

[phill4paul]

Two days of freedom was just too much.

There was so much freedom it was like a bad sunburn. Glad to be back under the freedom surveillance umbrella. Out of the light of the sun.

 

[specsaregood]

There was so much freedom it was like a bad sunburn. Glad to be back under the freedom surveillance umbrella. Out of the light of the sun.

IIRC, one of the big complaints and reasons mitch didn't support this act is that under it there is NO requirement for telecom companies to keep the records. (something they had hoped to amend). If that is TRUE, it seems to me that the free market has given some telephone company a great opportunity to market to privacy conscious people.

 

[Danke]

The ACLU is for it?

 

[Origanalist]

There was so much freedom it was like a bad sunburn. Glad to be back under the freedom surveillance umbrella. Out of the light of the sun.

I think I better see a doctor to see if I got freedom cancer.

 

[phill4paul]

IIRC, one of the big complaints and reasons mitch didn't support this act is that under it there is NO requirement for telecom companies to keep the records. (something they had hoped to amend). If that is TRUE, it seems to me that the free market has given some telephone company a great opportunity to market to privacy conscious people.

That would be a good thing. I really haven't taken the time to examine exactly what was in it or what Rand's amendment would have stipulated. I just know that it is as rare a as a snipe in a snipe hunt for any legislation to be a good thing. Less bad. Perhaps. Rarely good.

 

[Rudeman]

At least Rand prevented them from making the Freedom Act worse than it is since he forced the Patriot Act to expire. McConnell was afraid of it going back to the House and them further changing it for the better.

 

[65fastback2+2]

That would be a good thing. I really haven't taken the time to examine exactly what was in it or what Rand's amendment would have stipulated. I just know that it is as rare a as a snipe in a snipe hunt for any legislation to be a good thing. Less bad. Perhaps. Rarely good.

Amendment 1446: Require the government to get a warrant before collecting personal information from third parties


· Amendment 1441: Raise the standard for government collection of call records under FISA from “reasonable grounds” to “probable cause”


· Amendment 1442: Limit the government’s ability to use information gathered under intelligence authorities in unrelated criminal cases


· Amendment 1443: Make it easier to challenge the use of illegally obtained surveillance information in criminal proceedings


· Amendment 1454: Prohibit the government from requiring hardware and software companies to deliberately weaken encryption and other security features


· Amendment 1444: Clarify the bill’s definition of “specific selection terms”


· Amendment 1445: Require court approval for National Security Letters


· Amendment 1455: Prohibit the government from conducting warrantless reviews of Americans’ email and other communications under section 702 of the Foreign intelligence Surveillance Act


· Amendment 1460: Strengthen the bill with additional provisions from previously introduced surveillance reform legislation.

 

[RonPaulMall]

IIRC, one of the big complaints and reasons mitch didn't support this act is that under it there is NO requirement for telecom companies to keep the records. (something they had hoped to amend). If that is TRUE, it seems to me that the free market has given some telephone company a great opportunity to market to privacy conscious people.

lol. Nobody can just "start a telephone company". You are talking about one of the most highly regulated industries in the world with nearly insurmountable government created barriers to entry. This is why Rand's "Third Party Doctrine" Bill is so important. Pretty much every company Big and Powerful enough to get in to the position where they are in possession of our data are so in bed with government that there is functionally no difference between the two. Google, Apple, Sprint, ATT, Microsoft- all these companies rely on favorable treatment by government regulators to maintain their profits. When it comes down to you vs the government they'll choose the government every time because that is who butters their bread. Third Party doctrine is based on the faulty and outdated premise that these private corporations are truly private and would put the interests of their customers first.

 

[jj-]

Did Rand's amendments get a vote?

 

[menciusmoldbug]

The ACLU is for it?

http://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2013/06/civil-liberties-and-single-reactionary.html

 

[Mr.NoSmile]

Well, that was a waste of time. Expired Patriot Act? Ah, we'll find a way around it!

 

[Constitutional Paulicy]

Amendment 1446: Require the government to get a warrant before collecting personal information from third parties


· Amendment 1441: Raise the standard for government collection of call records under FISA from “reasonable grounds” to “probable cause”


· Amendment 1442: Limit the government’s ability to use information gathered under intelligence authorities in unrelated criminal cases


· Amendment 1443: Make it easier to challenge the use of illegally obtained surveillance information in criminal proceedings


· Amendment 1454: Prohibit the government from requiring hardware and software companies to deliberately weaken encryption and other security features


· Amendment 1444: Clarify the bill’s definition of “specific selection terms”


· Amendment 1445: Require court approval for National Security Letters


· Amendment 1455: Prohibit the government from conducting warrantless reviews of Americans’ email and other communications under section 702 of the Foreign intelligence Surveillance Act


· Amendment 1460: Strengthen the bill with additional provisions from previously introduced surveillance reform legislation.

Thanks!

 

[Keith and stuff]

My guess is that within 2 to 6 weeks, the companies will have read and implemented the new law. Enjoy your natural born, Constitutionally protected freedom while you have it.

 

[politics]

In my view, the whole world during two days felt thankful to the Senate.


http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?475839-12-00AM-EST-June-1-2015-The-Patriot-Act-is-DEAD

 

[dillo]

So this is the same thing but the telecom companies that were already in bed with the government hold the data? Should be called the FreeDumb act