It's been a busy week regarding the future of the NSA and the Patriot Act. A key section of the latter (#215) is due to expire if not renewed by Congress by Sunday night. It is from this section that the NSA (torturously) derives authority for its universal phone metadata harvesting. So far the House has passed an ersatz reform measure (The USA Freedom Act) but the Senate has recently failed to pass its own version due in no small part to the filibuster efforts of Sen Rand Paul and Sen Ron Wyden. I've laid out the links sequentially in this post in a way that should afford some perspective on the legislative song and dance as it stands. In a nutshell either the Senate will pass ersatz reform bill in an unusual last minute Sunday morning session in a contrived Kabuki dance or the noxious provision will be left to expire by midnight. The court finding of about a week or so ago that the provision in question ought to be considered illegal has apparently complicated things for the NSAs most aggressive proponents.
Time To Say Sayonara To The Patriot Act
Phone Surveillance Must End
Democrats, Republicans and Independents ALL Hate NSA Spying
Tea Party Group Teams With ACLU, NAACP On Patriot Act
Scaremongering about The Patriot Act Sunset
FBI Used Patriot Act To Obtain 'Large Collections' of Americans Data, DoJ Finds
NSA's Technotyranny: One Nation Under Surveillance
The Patriot Act and The Fourth Amendment
The Patriot Act and Section 251: Reform or Expiration??? (D-Day is Monday, June 1st)
Senate To Vote On NSA Surveillance Extension
P aul wages Patriot Act filibuster with call for an 'open rebellion'
House, Senate Leaders Push for NSA Deal During Recess
Edward Snowden Cheers On Rand Paul
Kentucky Conflict? Paul, McConnell Start To Clash
Aiming To Scare Congress Into Authorization, NSA Claims Surveillance Program “Winding Down”
Republicans Call White House's Bluff on Expiring Surveillance Programs
Obama and Rand Paul Face Off Over The Patriot Act
USA Freedom Act Will Get A Senate Vote Setting Up A Small Victory For Surveillance Reform(a prediction)
New NSA Disclosures
NSA Planned To Hijack Google App Store To Hack Smartphones
Oh?! And Did They Ever Do Anything About The CIA Torture Report??
There's Still Time To Prosecute The Torturers
Time To Say Sayonara To The Patriot Act
Phone Surveillance Must End
Democrats, Republicans and Independents ALL Hate NSA Spying
Tea Party Group Teams With ACLU, NAACP On Patriot Act
Scaremongering about The Patriot Act Sunset
FBI Used Patriot Act To Obtain 'Large Collections' of Americans Data, DoJ Finds
NSA's Technotyranny: One Nation Under Surveillance
The Patriot Act and The Fourth Amendment
The Patriot Act and Section 251: Reform or Expiration??? (D-Day is Monday, June 1st)
Senate To Vote On NSA Surveillance Extension
P aul wages Patriot Act filibuster with call for an 'open rebellion'
House, Senate Leaders Push for NSA Deal During Recess
Edward Snowden Cheers On Rand Paul
Kentucky Conflict? Paul, McConnell Start To Clash
Aiming To Scare Congress Into Authorization, NSA Claims Surveillance Program “Winding Down”
Republicans Call White House's Bluff on Expiring Surveillance Programs
Obama and Rand Paul Face Off Over The Patriot Act
USA Freedom Act Will Get A Senate Vote Setting Up A Small Victory For Surveillance Reform(a prediction)
New NSA Disclosures
NSA Planned To Hijack Google App Store To Hack Smartphones
Oh?! And Did They Ever Do Anything About The CIA Torture Report??
There's Still Time To Prosecute The Torturers