With several important provisions of the PATRIOT Act up for renewal before the end of the year, I’m incredibly pleased to see that Russ Feingold has introduced the JUSTICE Act, which is a kind of civil libertarian’s fantasy omnibus bill. It not only reins in the worst excesses of two of the three sunsetting provisions, but makes important changes to National Security Letter powers, the material witness statutes, and (nearest and dearest to my own heart) last year’s execrable FISA Amendments Act. Obama’s Justice Department has called for the renewal of the expiring PATRIOT provisions but declared itself “willing to consider” possible “modifications” that would enhance accountability and due process. Now let’s see if the folks who held Obama’s feet to the fire when he reneged on his promise to filibuster the FISA amendments will push him to throw the weight of his office behind JUSTICE.
Update: Not sure it’s online elsewhere yet; here’s the full text.
7 responses so far ↓
1 DivisionByZero // Sep 18, 2009 at 6:59 am
Now that the shoe is on the other foot I seriously doubt Obama will bother wasting anymore political capital on something so contentious.
2 Full text of S.1686 (The JUSTICE Act) online « Get FISA Right // Sep 19, 2009 at 1:02 am
[…] to Julian Sanchez for posting it, and Ben Masel for the info. Julian’s blog post PATRIOT meets JUSTICE ends with Obama’s Justice Department has called for the renewal of the expiring PATRIOT […]
3 Ben Masel // Sep 19, 2009 at 9:55 am
Will the folks on the right who freaked over the HHomeland Security memo on ‘rightwing domestic terrorism’ realize that this bill is the best defennse they’ll get against the Federal surveillance machinery being turned on them? I don’t know to what extent Feingold and Durbin sought Republican co-sponsors, but if the bill is to emerge with any teeth, it’ll take bipartisn action to resist Justice Dept. pressure to water it down.
I’ve created a “Pass the Justice Act Facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134538932549
4 As good as The Dodd (The Dodd abides) § Unqualified Offerings // Sep 19, 2009 at 12:04 pm
[…] other favorite Senator is Russ Feingold, and via Julian Sanchez I see that the good cheesehead* has introduced legislation to roll back certain egregious […]
5 Random Precision // Sep 19, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Obama has been absorbed by the National Security Collective.
Unfortunately, there are no more Patrick Henry’s …
6 Ben Masel // Sep 20, 2009 at 10:14 pm
House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution
Democratic Members
Russell D. Feingold, Wisconsin (Chairman)
Dianne Feinstein, California
Richard J. Durbin, Illinois
Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland
Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island
Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania
Republican Members
Tom Coburn, Oklahoma (Ranking Member)
Jon Kyl, Arizona
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
John Cornyn, Texas
How will the 4 Republicans play? Will the outrage around the overbroad Homeland Security report lead to pressure from their grassroots?
7 Julian Sanchez // Sep 25, 2009 at 1:56 am
I assume you mean Senate there?