More Aggressive NSA Reform Bill Moves Forward in the House
After a half-year in stasis, the USA Freedom Act -- the most aggressive of various NSA reform measures -- is headed for markup by the House Judiciary Committee.
Shutterstock
After a half-year in stasis, the USA Freedom Act — the most aggressive of various NSA reform measures — is headed for markup by the House Judiciary Committee.
Markup is a process by which lawmakers make speeches and offer amendments, and it’s the first tremor of life the Freedom Act has shown since October. The bill was authored by Republican James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, who also wrote the Patriot Act, which has been used to justify the NSA’s mass surveillance programs.
His new bill, which has 143 co-sponsors, according to The Hill, would rewrite Section 215 of the Patriot Act and part of the FISA act to limit NSA overreach. It would also provide immunity and compensation for those companies that cooperate with surveillance agencies.
A twin bill in the Senate is stuck while Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s FISA Improvements Act gains steam. Feinstein has been a staunch supporter of the NSA and accused leaker Edward Snowden of treason, so it should not surprise that the Electronic Frontier Foundation considers her reform bill a phony. “Senator Dianne Feinstein’s FISA Improvements Act (FIA) codifies some of the worst interpretations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), one of the laws governing the NSA’s spying,” warns the digital rights watchdog.
— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Politics
The Black progressive from Oakland carved out space for others to follow, including the Squad.
Politics
Butler previously served as the head of a major SEIU local. But she also represented Uber as it fought efforts to classify drivers as employees.
News
The California Governor is expected to appoint a Black woman to fill the Senate seat, at least temporarily. There are currently no Black women in the Senate.
Editorial Cartoons
Editorial Cartoons
It’s far from the issue that media pundits or the president are talking about the most, but health care will be high on voters’ lists in 2020.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.