Patriot Act Expires

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia – Today, Campaign for Liberty applauded Senator Rand Paul for forcing three controversial surveillance provisions to expire, rather than allow the NSA to continue spying on millions of innocent Americans without cause and without a warrant.

By refusing to allow the USA Freedom Act to be rammed through at the last minute, Senator Rand Paul ensured the expiring provisions were not renewed before the deadline and are, as of now, not authorized by law. Campaign for Liberty will continue to oppose any law that renews the NSA’s power to spy on innocent Americans.

The USA Freedom Act, sponsored by Senators Mike Lee(R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), would extend and amend three controversial surveillance provisions; Sections 206 and 215 of the Patriot Act and Section 6001 of the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. The amendments would not, however, prevent warrantless and widespread surveillance of Americans and continues to allow the NSA to violate the 4th Amendment rights of innocent Americans.

“Last night was an incredibly historic night for all Americans who value privacy,” said Campaign for Liberty President John Tate.

“While certain provisions of the Patriot Act have expired for now, Americans who oppose warrantless surveillance should keep contacting their representatives and senators, urging them not to settle for phony ‘reform.’

“They should also insist their senators oppose all of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s amendments after he filled the tree. McConnell’s procedural maneuver reeks of the ham-fisted way his predecessor, Senator Reid, used to run the Senate and is the wrong way to go about doing the people’s business. It’s a shame Senator McConnell won’t allow other senators to offer amendments providing real protection of America’s constitutional liberties.

“Unless Majority Leader McConnell brings the USA Freedom Act up under a process allowing amendments, then the Senate should vote ‘NO’ on all procedural measures. The American people are sick and tired of their government spying on them in the name of security and it is vital that Congress gets the message.”

###

Campaign for Liberty is a 501(c)4 grassroots advocacy organization founded by Dr. Ron Paul in 2008. Campaign for Liberty seeks to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a noninterventionist foreign policy, by means of education, issue advocacy, and grassroots mobilization.