A movement to vote against the extension of the PATRIOT Act was called for by a number of groups. The voting was scheduled February 8, 2011. The so-called H.R. 514 is about to be extended, although it needs a YES vote by a full two-thirds of the House’s members. The reauthorization was viewed as being fast-tracked to the House floor.
Contentions have been aired questioning the manner the bill would be extended. One point that was raised was that there have been no important reforms to the previous law that would warrant its extension. According to critics, there is no provision for supervision and accountability. If ever, it is extremely weak and would not hold water.
Last year yet, the bill was proposed and debated on. Among the proposed reforms were on the areas of checks and balances. As the old version was criticized as lacking of these features, the new one is “ripe” with those. However the debates and negotiations went on until the deadline was already close by. The move for extension of the older version came up when the amendments could no longer make it to the deadline. In February of last year, the extension was moved until this February 2011. In addition, there was a pledge made to fully take into account the raised issues ahead of the next deadline.
The uncertainty with the approaching extension is that no debates are possible. There is no actual reform that could be anticipated with the deadline set until December 8, 2011. The projected revisions would not be carried out because no one is given the option to offer changes. The outcome would be the same PATRIOT as it is in its present-day form.
It can be presumed that there is something about the bill that raised such reaction. For one, the law allows the government to place any person under surveillance. Covert court orders will be given under Section 215. With this, access to confidential records could be established. These consist of internet, phone and corporate records.
Under this law, foreign intelligence wiretaps might be permitted. Anybody, even those without connection to any foreign power or terrorist group, can be tapped. Whenever government “feels” there is a requirement to do so, any telephone number, email account or other communications facility can be accessed.
Those were the provisions that critics say should not be incorporated in the renewal. In order for it to be significant, legitimate reforms ought to be done. Weak points must be eliminated, and more checks and balances should be built-in. This could be done if debates are allowed. This is the only way to ensure that civil liberties are protected.
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