Yes indeed, there’s a fight over the Patriot Act. On June 1, some major aspects of this controversial anti-terrorism law will expire if lawmakers don’t intervene.
So far, intervention isn’t working. Earlier this weekend, the US Senate blocked extended provisions that would have lasted past the deadlines. Now as the deadline approaches with no extensions, and with a Memorial Day vacation, the Patriot Act is in danger of not being renewed. Sixty votes were needed to pass the extensions. Guess when they’re going to re-debate the issue? Not until May 31, the eve of the extension expiration. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and many fellow Republicans desperately want to renew the Patriot Act, and keep it the way it is. They argue that changing government surveillance programs would give an open door to terrorist groups like ISIS. But Democrats and libertarian Republicans like Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) aren’t buying it. They argue these extended laws violate Americans’ privacy. Not only that, they say the extension wouldn’t be effective in catching terrorist groups in the first place. At the heart of the fight is the NSA’s mass collection of phone and email records. Keep in mind these phone and email records collected are from Americans not even suspected of terrorist ties or activities.
Like most Americans, I’m concerned about terrorist groups like ISIS and the death, damage, and destruction can do to this country. I’ve read reports of such groups already nearing our borders. So that’s a major concern. But I‘m just as concerned, and probably more so, at our own government collecting phone calls, emails and social media pictures and posts from ordinary law obeying Americans. What if these psychopathic terrorists decide to strike when the authorities are too focused on the wrong people? The Patriot Act extensions have huge issues right now. Do you really think they can be solved in one day?