Thursday, June 23, 2016

Speaking of Bad Legislation...

[Wednesday] morning the Senate fell one vote short of attaching a rider to a spending bill that would give the FBI sweeping new surveillance authority, including warrantless access to browsing history. Now, Senate leaders are trying to turn just one more senator in favor of the rider before doing a re-vote. This process is being spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who introduced the rider (McCain Amendment 4787) late on Monday and is trying to sneak it through using a cloture process that limits any debate.

[...]

The text of McCain Amendment 4787 is available on the congress.gov website (scroll to the bottom) and in plain language, it would give the FBI warrantless access to all sorts of private and personally-identifying information:

- Real names, physical addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers
- Credit card and bank account numbers and purchase history
- Web browsing history
- Local and long distance phone call history

  Fight for the Future
Now I know people think they're safer if the FBI has all their information, but surely they would balk at them having access to their credit cards and bank accounts.
McConnell filed a motion to recommit.
I'm all for committing McConnell.
How did your senators vote? Check here, and then call and tell them what you think of them!
A bunch of lily-livered cowards in the job for the money and power.

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.  -- Mark Twain

That, too.

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