Senate Approves USA Freedom Act
June 2, 2015 2:12 PM Subscribe
The vote of 67 - 32 will move the measure to President Obama's desk. Previous reports suggest that he will sign it immediately.
Because reporter's eyes glaze over if you tell them the bill was the "Foo-Bar Omnibus Security Bill of 2015" or whatever.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 2:18 PM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 2:18 PM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
It took me a moment to make sense out of the latter part of that article, because it didn't initially occur to me that when McConnell referred to "a victory for Edward Snowden" he meant it as a bad thing. What a weird cultural bubble people in Washington DC must live in.
posted by Mars Saxman at 2:21 PM on June 2, 2015 [39 favorites]
posted by Mars Saxman at 2:21 PM on June 2, 2015 [39 favorites]
I suppose, in retrospect, the competing Timely Retraction of Anti-International Terrorism Over Reaction Act never stood a chance...
posted by littlejohnnyjewel at 2:36 PM on June 2, 2015 [24 favorites]
posted by littlejohnnyjewel at 2:36 PM on June 2, 2015 [24 favorites]
Don't tell me if you didn't work as a congressional staffer you wouldn't enjoy coming up with insane backronyms for everything.
posted by dilaudid at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by dilaudid at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2015 [17 favorites]
fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit: "Because reporter's eyes glaze over if you tell them the bill was the "Foo-Bar Omnibus Security Bill of 2015" or whatever."
I read that as "Ominous Security Bill" for a moment, and that made a lot of sense.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2015 [10 favorites]
I read that as "Ominous Security Bill" for a moment, and that made a lot of sense.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2015 [10 favorites]
From the EFF link:
But yeah, gotta be happy about this victory, because us anti-surveillance folks don't get a lot of those.
Also, Congress did something good, so that's a thing to celebrate as well.
And yeah, McConnel, it is a victory for Snowden (and another 320 million Americans). This country needs more victories for Snowden (and the rest of us).
posted by el io at 2:44 PM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
We’ve also been speaking out publicly against Executive Order 12333, an executive order that the NSA relies on for most of its digital surveillance of people worldwide. We’ll be launching a big campaign to attack this Executive Order, putting pressure on President Obama. Our goal is to get the president to address the biggest problems with EO 12333 with a new executive order before he leaves office.What exactly does this accomplish? Can't his successor (or either party, of course) merely issue another Executive Order that reinstates this? Can't they also make it secret?
But yeah, gotta be happy about this victory, because us anti-surveillance folks don't get a lot of those.
Also, Congress did something good, so that's a thing to celebrate as well.
And yeah, McConnel, it is a victory for Snowden (and another 320 million Americans). This country needs more victories for Snowden (and the rest of us).
posted by el io at 2:44 PM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
Thank you for your sacrifices, Edward Snowden. You have changed America for the better.
Also, thanks to the Republicans and Democrats in government for acting on this.
posted by Drinky Die at 2:49 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, thanks to the Republicans and Democrats in government for acting on this.
posted by Drinky Die at 2:49 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
THIS MASSIVE TAPPING WAS FIRST SUGGESTED TO THE INCOMING G.W. BUSH BY NSA, PRIOR TO 9/11, WITH THE RECOGNITION BY THEM THAT THE FOURTH AMENDMENT MIGHT NEED "RETHINKING"!
posted by Postroad at 2:53 PM on June 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Postroad at 2:53 PM on June 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
This is something, sort of, but it's also nowhere near good enough. Sadly, people will take this to mean that we've now "done something" about the problem and any further efforts to investigate or reform the situation will go nowhere.
posted by zachlipton at 2:54 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zachlipton at 2:54 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
What does it say about me that my entire body refuses to take anything the U.S. government calls "freedom" at face value?
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:54 PM on June 2, 2015 [18 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:54 PM on June 2, 2015 [18 favorites]
Requiring all terrorists to have a Facebook profile was a nice addition.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:56 PM on June 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:56 PM on June 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
What does it say about me that my entire body refuses to take anything the U.S. government calls "freedom" at face value?
It says that you are a sane and rational human being.
posted by VTX at 2:59 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
It says that you are a sane and rational human being.
posted by VTX at 2:59 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
Small Victories: Rand Paul and Spying Within Limits. In which we learn that there are limits to how we limit being spied upon.
posted by homunculus at 3:01 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 3:01 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
> What does it say about me that my entire body refuses to take anything the U.S. government calls "freedom" at face value?
> It says that you are a sane and rational human being.
Who lives in an Orwellian world of ubiquitous political doublespeak.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:06 PM on June 2, 2015
> It says that you are a sane and rational human being.
Who lives in an Orwellian world of ubiquitous political doublespeak.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:06 PM on June 2, 2015
Did anyone hear about this Rand Paul guy running for president?
posted by peeedro at 3:07 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by peeedro at 3:07 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
And, once more, Bin Laden's ghost quietly chuckles.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:10 PM on June 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 3:10 PM on June 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
posted by indubitable at 3:15 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
posted by indubitable at 3:15 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Beyond the doublespeak, it is a horrible piece of work in so many ways.
One truly depressing thing about this is that if Ron Paul's offspring wasn't running for national office, it is likely that we would not have heard anything from our mass media about legislative resistance to this. This was basically a gift of free advertising from the media to the Ron Paul family.
Another truly depressing thing about this is that the country gets nothing in return from Obama signing this bill. If he had at least put up a pretense of a fight, then at least he could have bartered his signature with an obstructionist legislature, to exchange it for something of use to us. Instead, he throws his support behind a law that enriches surveillance technology companies, their shareholders, their lobbyists, and their legislators at our (taxpayer) expense, while continuing to eviscerate our civil rights.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 3:24 PM on June 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
One truly depressing thing about this is that if Ron Paul's offspring wasn't running for national office, it is likely that we would not have heard anything from our mass media about legislative resistance to this. This was basically a gift of free advertising from the media to the Ron Paul family.
Another truly depressing thing about this is that the country gets nothing in return from Obama signing this bill. If he had at least put up a pretense of a fight, then at least he could have bartered his signature with an obstructionist legislature, to exchange it for something of use to us. Instead, he throws his support behind a law that enriches surveillance technology companies, their shareholders, their lobbyists, and their legislators at our (taxpayer) expense, while continuing to eviscerate our civil rights.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 3:24 PM on June 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
They really should have called it the Destroying Infrastructure to Collect Key Personal Identification Characteristics Secret bill.
(wow, that is fun, I could do this all day)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:44 PM on June 2, 2015 [14 favorites]
(wow, that is fun, I could do this all day)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:44 PM on June 2, 2015 [14 favorites]
A Lungful of Dragon, when the senate vote is at veto override levels already it doesn't seem likely that his signature is going to be worth much political capital.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:50 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:50 PM on June 2, 2015
John Oliver only has two fingers left on that monkey's paw.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:51 PM on June 2, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:51 PM on June 2, 2015 [9 favorites]
Given that the NSA will do what the NSA wants to do, this might as well be called the Prohibiting Legal Acquisition of Collected Electronic Biographic Observations act.
posted by delfin at 3:52 PM on June 2, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by delfin at 3:52 PM on June 2, 2015 [15 favorites]
I truly believe that it is not so much international terrorism that is being fought against here but rather it is laying the foundations for societal suppression when the 0.1% end up controlling 99% of the wealth.
posted by AGameOfMoans at 4:12 PM on June 2, 2015 [19 favorites]
posted by AGameOfMoans at 4:12 PM on June 2, 2015 [19 favorites]
That is the only thing it's about, AGameOfMoans. A bunch of assholes in the desert are not a threat to America: impoverished American citizens are the threat. TPTB fear us.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:18 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by five fresh fish at 4:18 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
There's a lot to criticize about the Pauls, but they've been consistent and tenacious about this for a long time. I don't mind if he benefits from it politically. I hope Wyden does too. Politicians should be rewarded for taking unpopular stances, especially against their own party, for the general good. Paul contributed a lot to bringing enough conservatives around on domestic surveillance (not just the paranoids either, but as a matter of principle) to make this bipartisan. Considering the gridlock in Congress, it's not inconceivable this all could've gone a much different route.
posted by echocollate at 4:50 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by echocollate at 4:50 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 9/11, CONGRESS CHECKS THE SECURITY STATE
posted by bukvich at 5:40 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by bukvich at 5:40 PM on June 2, 2015
Don't tell me if you didn't work as a congressional staffer you wouldn't enjoy coming up with insane backronyms for everything.
No time. I'd be having too much fun naming military operations.
posted by ctmf at 6:26 PM on June 2, 2015
No time. I'd be having too much fun naming military operations.
posted by ctmf at 6:26 PM on June 2, 2015
Federal Insurance Defying Dangerous Lack of Effective Surveillance Act ?
posted by comealongpole at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by comealongpole at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2015
The Surveillance Needs Our Wholehearted Defense and Encouragement - Not! Act of 2015 might have been a nice touch.
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:08 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:08 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
I don't know what everybody is worried about. I'm sure the master lizard race keeps complete backups.
posted by Bonzai at 8:29 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Bonzai at 8:29 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Because reporter's eyes glaze over if you tell them the bill was the "Foo-Bar Omnibus Security Bill of 2015" or whatever.
Fun fact: You're totally right! Remember how the Patriot Act was seemingly pulled out of thin air, and anyone with any kind of sense was like, "Gee, this bill must have been a wish list sitting on a shelf waaaay before 9/11?" The first draft of that wish list was the Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995. It was introduced by then-Senator Joe Biden, who later said of the Patriot Act, "The bill John Ashcroft sent up was my bill."
The Omnibus Counterterrorism Act was introduced a few months before the Oklahoma City bombing. After the bombing, the New York Times predicted that it was one of "a few surer legislative bets in Washington." But the omnibus bill was opposed by civil libertarians, and never even made it to a vote.
posted by compartment at 8:40 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
Fun fact: You're totally right! Remember how the Patriot Act was seemingly pulled out of thin air, and anyone with any kind of sense was like, "Gee, this bill must have been a wish list sitting on a shelf waaaay before 9/11?" The first draft of that wish list was the Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995. It was introduced by then-Senator Joe Biden, who later said of the Patriot Act, "The bill John Ashcroft sent up was my bill."
The Omnibus Counterterrorism Act was introduced a few months before the Oklahoma City bombing. After the bombing, the New York Times predicted that it was one of "a few surer legislative bets in Washington." But the omnibus bill was opposed by civil libertarians, and never even made it to a vote.
posted by compartment at 8:40 PM on June 2, 2015 [6 favorites]
What a weird cultural bubble people in Washington DC must live in
Although this is true, McConnell is not a representative (heh) sample. I reckon part of our (read: people who actually live in the district) cultural bubble relates to being right up on the edges of this sort of momentous discussion, maybe even taking part in it, while not having a vote about who gets to make the decisions.
Off-topic I suppose, I'm just weary of "people in Washington DC" applying to the senators, staffers, congress-critters, and various other short-termers who never pay taxes or take up residency, rather than the ~0.7 million of us who actually, you know, live here. And tend to fall pretty far politically from McConnell and his ilk.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:54 PM on June 2, 2015 [7 favorites]
If he had at least put up a pretense of a fight, then at least he could have bartered his signature with an obstructionist legislature, to exchange it for something of use to us. Instead, he throws his support behind a law that enriches surveillance technology companies, their shareholders, their lobbyists, and their legislators at our (taxpayer) expense, while continuing to eviscerate our civil rights.
On the NSA, Obama is to the right of even McConnell. He's lockstep with the Ted Cruz's and James Clappers of the world. More surveillance, more dragnet, more drones, less oversight, prosecute anyone of talks about it just short of the death penalty. Make no mistake, spying on citizens is the one thing where Obama is indistinguishable from Sean Hannity.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:01 AM on June 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
On the NSA, Obama is to the right of even McConnell. He's lockstep with the Ted Cruz's and James Clappers of the world. More surveillance, more dragnet, more drones, less oversight, prosecute anyone of talks about it just short of the death penalty. Make no mistake, spying on citizens is the one thing where Obama is indistinguishable from Sean Hannity.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:01 AM on June 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
When talking with my family and friends and coworkers about this thing, I've found that referring to Rand Paul as a 'stopped clock' makes a nice catchy characterization.
posted by box at 5:20 AM on June 3, 2015
posted by box at 5:20 AM on June 3, 2015
A bunch of assholes in the desert are not a threat to America: impoverished American citizens are the threat.
So you are maybe not referring to Arizona.
posted by Brian B. at 6:58 AM on June 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
So you are maybe not referring to Arizona.
posted by Brian B. at 6:58 AM on June 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
"What exactly does this accomplish? Can't his successor (or either party, of course) merely issue another Executive Order that reinstates this? Can't they also make it secret?"
There is a lot of inertia in administrative issues like this. It takes a fair amount of work and time put in by top-level presidential staff and the president him/herself. So it's possible the next president would get right on the stick and change the EO but it is far more likely that the next administration will have a hundred other issues they will prioritize over this one and they'll just never get around to changing it even if (on some level) they would like to.
posted by flug at 7:33 AM on June 3, 2015
There is a lot of inertia in administrative issues like this. It takes a fair amount of work and time put in by top-level presidential staff and the president him/herself. So it's possible the next president would get right on the stick and change the EO but it is far more likely that the next administration will have a hundred other issues they will prioritize over this one and they'll just never get around to changing it even if (on some level) they would like to.
posted by flug at 7:33 AM on June 3, 2015
"The White House told reporters on Thursday that, despite the imminent passage of NSA reform, they still believe Edward Snowden still belongs in prison (presumably for life, given his potential charges), while at the same time, brazenly taking credit for the USA Freedom Act passing, saying that “historians” would consider it part of Obama’s “legacy.” Hopefully historians will also remember, as Ryan Lizza adeptly documented in the New Yorker, that Obama was handed every opportunity to reform the NSA before Edward Snowden, yet behind the scenes repeatedly refused to do so. Instead, the Obama administration was dragged kicking and screaming across the finish line by Snowden’s disclosures, all while engaging in fear-mongering that would make Dick Cheney proud."
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:42 PM on June 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:42 PM on June 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Meanwhile The National Security Agency’s ability to warrantlessly sift through Americans’ international Internet traffic has been secretly expanded as part of efforts to identify malicious hackers
posted by adamvasco at 9:44 AM on June 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by adamvasco at 9:44 AM on June 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
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"Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection and Online Monitoring Act"
Who the hell is the person in Congress who gets a hard-on for backronyms?
posted by inturnaround at 2:16 PM on June 2, 2015 [18 favorites]