What does the Patriot Act Allow? Is it a reasonable law enforcement tool ? Or is it one step closer to a Totalitarian Police State? By invalidating the constitution the Union is effectively dissolved, replaced gradually from 1950 -2001 with the Military Correctional Corp of Central North America, or the Oceana of George Orwell's1984. Initially this page was supposed to be a study of arguments pro and con, but as I composed the material I slowly realized this was the most sinister peace of governance every contemplated in the History of Capitalist Representative Governments. Here is an extended page of instance of use and abuse of the Patriot Act and State secrets laws generally.
May 27, 2011: Senate bill S-990: "Small Business Additional Temporary Extension Act of 2011" | Civil disobedience and the Patriot Act: The most terrifying lens to view the Patriot Act through is as a protestor trying to ensure you do not violate it. Because if you do, your family could be on the street, your citizenship revoked, and if you own any property, it could be taken from you.Tea Party Caucus Voting breakdown on Patriot Act reauthorization:![]() Actual Provisions Of The Patriot Act Summarized:Main Provisions of the Patriot Act The Patriot Act's full title is Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. It's split into 10 parts, and it covers a lot of ground. Here is a summary. Title I - This section pertains to the protection of civil liberties. It authorizes federal money to accomplish much of the act's provisions and authorizes the Secret Service to create a nationwide electronic crime task force. This section also gives the president the authority to confiscate the property of any foreign person who is believed to have aided in a war or attack on the United States. Such seizures can be submitted secretly to courts as evidence. Title II - This section broadens the ability of law-enforcement agencies to conduct surveillance on "agents of foreign powers." It allows the interception of communications if they're related to terrorist activities and allows law-enforcement agencies to share information related to terrorist activities with federal authorities. In addition, Title II authorizes roving surveillance -- that is, a court order allowing surveillance on a particular person allows officers to use any means available to intercept that person's communications, regardless of where the person goes. Previously, a court order would only allow a wiretap on a specific line in one location. Further, it allows the government to order files from the providers of communications services with details about specific customers' use of the service. For example, an Internet service provider can be ordered to provide information on IP addresses, login times and sites visited. Title II also allows delayed notification of search warrants, meaning a suspect's house could be searched while the suspect isn't present, and the suspect would not be notified of the search until after it was carried out. The wide-ranging Title II included many other relatively minor clauses. Title II also contained the sunset clause that would have caused many of the act's provisions to expire in 2005 had they not been renewed. We'll discuss more on the sunset clause later. Title III - This section of the Patriot Act is aimed at cutting off the financial support of terrorist groups. It has provisions requiring banks to take steps to prevent money laundering, allows law-enforcement agencies to gather information from banks and creates longer prison terms for money laundering and smuggling. Title IV - This section has provisions intended to strengthen border security. It authorizes increased funding forborder patrols, customs officials and immigration officials. Foreigners with ties to terrorist organizations are banned from entering the United States, and the monitoring of foreign students is expanded by Title IV. Title V - The most important part of Title V is the use of National Security Letters (NSL). An NSL is a demand for the release of information and paperwork related to a person under investigation. The Patriot Act makes NSLs much stronger, allows them to be used against U.S. citizens and contains a gag order preventing the target of the NSL from ever knowing about it or telling anyone else about it. There is no judicial review or need for probable cause when an NSL is requested and issued.
Title VII - Authorization and budgeting for increased sharing of information between law-enforcement agencies and jurisdictions are contained in this section. Title VIII - This portion of the Patriot Act adds several crimes to the list of things considered acts of terrorism, including attacking a mass transit system, using a biological weapon, supporting terrorism and computerhacking. The penalties for terrorist crimes are also increased. Title IX - This section creates a method for the sharing of national intelligence information between governmentagencies. Title X - The final section of the Patriot Act contains a number of relatively minor, miscellaneous provisions. California Representatives who voted against Patriot Act Reauthorization: Rep. Karen Bass [D, CA-33] Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23] Rep. Judy Chu [D, CA-32] Rep. Anna Eshoo [D, CA-14] Rep. Sam Farr [D, CA-17] Rep. John Garamendi [D, CA-10] Rep. Michael Honda [D, CA-15] Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9] Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16] Rep. Doris Matsui [D, CA-5] Rep. Jerry McNerney [D, CA-11] Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38] Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D, CA-8] Rep. Laura Richardson [D, CA-37] Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D, CA-34] Rep. Linda Sánchez [D, CA-39] Rep. Brad Sherman [D, CA-27] Rep. Jackie Speier [D, CA-12] Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13] Rep. Michael Thompson [D, CA-1] Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35] Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30] Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6] Rep. John Campbell [R, CA-48] Rep. Tom McClintock [R, CA-4] Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R, CA-46] California Representatives Who voted for Patriot Act: Senators Boxer D and Feinstein D both support the Patriot Act Reauthorization. House: Rep. Joe Baca [D, CA-43] Abstain Rep. Xavier Becerra [D, CA-31] Abstain Rep. Howard Berman [D, CA-28] Abstain Rep. Mary Bono Mack [R, CA-45] Abstain Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51] Abstain Rep. Howard McKeon [R, CA-25] Abstain Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7] Abstain Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47] Abstain Rep. Brian Bilbray [R, CA-50] Aye Rep. Ken Calvert [R, CA-44] Aye Rep. Dennis Cardoza [D, CA-18] Aye Rep. Jim Costa [D, CA-20] Aye Rep. Susan Davis [D, CA-53] Aye Rep. Jeff Denham [R, CA-19] Aye Rep. David Dreier [R, CA-26] Aye Rep. Elton Gallegly [R, CA-24] Aye Rep. Walter Herger [R, CA-2] Aye Rep. Duncan Hunter [R, CA-52] Aye Rep. Darrell Issa [R, CA-49] Aye Rep. Jerry Lewis [R, CA-41] Aye Rep. Daniel Lungren [R, CA-3] Aye Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R, CA-22] Aye Rep. Gary Miller [R, CA-42] Aye Rep. Devin Nunes [R, CA-21] Aye Rep. Edward Royce [R, CA-40] Aye Rep. Adam Schiff [D, CA-29] Aye |
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Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Bingaman (D-NM) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell D-WA Coons (D-DE) Durbin (D-IL) Harkin (D-IA) Franken (D-MN) |
Heller R-NV Lautenberg (D-NJ) Lee (R-UT) Merkley (D-OR) Murray (D-WA) Murkoswki R-AK |
Paul (R-KY) Sanders (I-VT) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-NM) Udall D-CO |