H.R. 3361: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act

First, legislation to preserve our Liberty from the Federal government should never have to be written. Second, the should never have been relegated to several committees to bury it. Third, every “Representative” should be a co-sponsor of this legislation.

It is ironic that this bill was written by James Sensenbrenner: the original architect of the “Patriot Act”. Currently, this legislation has a 45 % chance of approval. Only Howard Coble and Walter Jones have signed on as co-sponsors from North Carolina. So we have to ask ourselves who these US Representatives really “represent”.  

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Oppose Patriot Act Extension, Round 5

Currently there are nine different bills introduced in Congress, three in the House and six in the Senate, that would extend the provisions of the Patriot Act for one to three years. Four of the Senate bills are already out of committee and scheduled for a vote on the General Calendar. One that sees much press but has no co-sponsors is Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-Vt.) S. 193: USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011, and is a likely vehicle for furthering the dictates of the original Patriot Act.

All of the proposed measures would extend the most objectionable parts of the Patriot Act; the “lone wolf” provision that permits indiscriminate government surveillance of individuals for no reason; the “library records” provision; and the “John Doe roving wiretap” provision that ignores the Fourth Amendment’s guarantee of probable cause and proper court order.

Already made permanent in the original Patriot Act or in the 2006 “ improvement” legislation are expanded wiretapping for computers and all wireless communications, the notorious National Security Letters, a stealthy “sneak-and-peek” provision, and the dreaded “business records” search that allows the government to wiretap businesses at will and to take “any tangible thing” from a business which is related to an investigation.

The FBI and its director Robert Mueller are in favor of extending the provisions, which is no surprise, as the FBI has benefited greatly from the Act that gave them carte blanche to ignore “probable cause,” and to conduct searches based on its own search warrants -- without judges -- as long as they call them "National Security Letters (NSLs). In a late March committee hearing Mueller stated he was unaware of any FBI abuses of the three most contentious provisions of the Act. But the Electronic Frontier Foundation begs to differ, finding numerous and documented abuses by the FBI under Freedom of Information Act requests. Furthermore, the Inspector General’s report of a Justice Department review of FBI activity revealed a circumvention of “the requirements of the Electronic Communications Privacy” law.

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized,” is the wording of the four-fold protections guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment.

Because so many of the popular Tea Party candidates that were elected last fall failed to understand the principles of the Fourth Amendment, they voted to extend certain provisions in the Patriot Act in early 2011 for the fourth time. Help educate your elected officials on the principles and protections of the Fourth Amendment and demand that they honor their oath to support and defend the Constitution by repealing the permanent provisions of the Patriot Act, and not extending those set to expire.

In the words of former judge Andrew Napolitano, help stop “the most abominable, unconstitutional assaults on personal liberty since the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798,” by working to educate your elected representatives on the dangers of the Patriot Act.

FEDERAL WATCHDOG REPORT—February 15, 2011

OBAMA AND STATE DEPARTMENT—MISHANDLED CRISIS IN EGYPT?

Obama should not have “emasculated Mubark” in front of the world. Pressure should have been applied in private call. To make matters worse, various members of the administration gave out conflicting public comments. Our allies think we can not be trusted. Our enemies think we are a joke.

OBAMA RELEASED BUDGET ON MONDAY  (Includes 15 Tax Hikes)
President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.73 trillion spending blueprint that pledges $1.1 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade through spending cuts and tax increases. The projected savings would be dwarfed by the $7.21 trillion in cumulative deficits over that 10-year period.

Obama’s new budget projects that the deficit for the current year will surge to an all-time high of $1.65 trillion. For 2012, the administration sees the imbalance declining to $1.1 trillion, giving the country a record four straight years of $1 trillion-plus deficits.

Obama would achieve two-thirds of his projected $1.1 trillion in deficit savings through spending cuts including a five-year freeze on many domestic programs. The other one-third of the savings would come from tax increases, including limiting tax deductions for high income taxpayers, a proposal Obama put forward last year only to have it rejected in Congress.

The Obama budget recommendation, which is certain to be changed by Congress, would spend $3.73 trillion in the 2012 budget year, which begins Oct. 1, a reduction of 2.4 percent from what Obama projects will be spent in the current budget year. The Obama plan would fall far short of the $4 trillion in deficit cuts recommended in a December report by his blue-ribbon deficit commission. Obama’s efforts are timid at best and include new increased spending in several areas including selected areas of education, biomedical research, energy efficiency, high-speed rail and other areas Obama judged to be important to the country’s future competitiveness in a global economy.

THE SPENDING DEBATE BEGINS IN CONGRESS THIS WEEK
This past week the Senate continued debating the Federal Aviation Admin. bill but mostly was in recess while Senate Democrats conducted their legislative agenda retreat in Charlottesville, VA. What emerged from their multiple-day retreat was a clear message that they intend to attack the GOP as they construct their budget cutting Omnibus appropriations bill which will continue the funding of our Federal Government through the end of this fiscal year. (Sept.30, 2011). This Continuing resolution or CR as it is commonly called will be the subject of debate on the House side and some talk on the Senate side this coming week. The Senate Majority Leader said on the Senate floor last week that the Congress needs to concentrate on the “quality of the cuts not the quantity.” He went on to say that the cuts should not “take teachers out of the classroom or police officers off the streets.” This theme will be echoed throughout the halls of Congress beginning this week as the Senate resumes the Federal Aviation administration bill, the House begins action on the Omnibus spending bill and the President submits his annual budget to Congress Monday, Feb. 14.

The House side will begin their debate on the spending bill as early as Tuesday. The Chairman of the Appropriations comm. Cong. Rogers (R-KY) posted the $100B in cuts late last week. You can view them here: http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a measure that will begin defunding ObamaCare! That initiative coupled with two proposed pro-life bills make this session of Congress one of the most promising pro-life sessions in many, many years.

PASSING THE HOUSE

February 11, 2011: H.R. 73 passed the House, providing for consideration of the resolution (H.Res. 72) directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth. Passed 255-169, 9 not voting. 100% of Republicans supporting, 91% of Democrats opposing. (Jones voting Yea).

February 10, 2011: H. Res. 79: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 514) to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 relating to access to business records, individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers, and roving wiretaps until December 8, 2011. Passed 248-176, 9 not voting. 98% of Republicans supporting, 92% of Democrats opposing. (Jones voting Yea).

PENDING BILLS TO WATCH

H.R. 3: The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act: Sponsored by: Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) This bill would take away tax benefits for employers who provide health care if the plans offer abortion coverage. STATUS: House Judiciary: Committee Hearings Held on February 8, 2011.

H.R. 10: “The Executive in Need of Scrutiny”: To amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law….” http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-10

H.R. 140: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011--To amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth. Sponsored by: Rep. Steve King [R-IA5] with 61 co-sponsors. This bill would end giving U.S. citizenship to the births of illegal aliens, temporary foreign workers and foreign tourists. STATUS: On Jan 24, 2011 the House Committee on the Judiciary: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

H. R. 308: Large Capacity Feeding Device Act, “To prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D.-N.Y.) and 57 Democrat cosponsors, H.R. 308 would restrict -- criminalize, actually -- the transfer and possession by law-abiding citizens of large capacity feeding devices, more commonly known as magazines, that accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition

H.R. 358: The Protect Life Act-- To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to modify special rules relating to coverage of abortion services under such Act. Sponsored by: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), now has 121 co-sponsors. This bill is aimed at those who would get insurance through state exchanges. It would block those consumers from purchasing abortion coverage. STATUS: Feb 1, 2011: House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R. 374: Life at Conception Act--To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person. Sponsored by: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and currently has 61 co-sponsors. STATUS: Jan 20, 2011: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R. 421: Full Faith and Credit Act-- To require that the Government prioritize all obligations on the debt held by the public in the event that the debt limit is reached. Sponsored by: Rep. Tom McClintock [R-CA4] and 60 co-sponsors. STATUS: Jan 25, 2011: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 483: To create an electronic employment eligibility verification system to ensure that all workers in the United States are legally able to work, and for other purposes. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced a new House bill that would require the mandatory use of E-Verify for all businesses in the United States. The Triple E-VICT Act would help the 22 million Americans who can't find full-time work by ensuring jobs don't go to illegal aliens. STATUS: Referred to House Education and the Workforce Committee on 1/26/11.

H.R. 605: To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to repeal certain limitations on health care benefits. Introduced February 10, 2011 Rep. Erik Paulsen [R-MN3]

S. 91: Life at Conception Act—Introduced by: Sen. Roger Wicker [R-MS] on January 25, 2011; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill will define personhood from the moment of conception. Sen. Wicker has 13 co-sponsors thus far.

S. 149: A bill to extend the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 until December 31, 2013, and for other purposes. STATUS: Jan 25, 2011: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Senate Democrats are set to fast track the companion legislation (S. 149) to the House bill, as they seek to bypass the committee process and push the bill straight to the floor.

For constant updates check our website: http://www.cctaxpayers.com and our blog at http://cctaxpayers.blogspot.com/.

Respectfully submitted,
Lynn Childs, Federal Watchdog

URGENT!!! Please Take Action Now ~ Patriot Act Up for Congressional Vote on Monday, February 14th at 1400!!!

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives rejected legislation extending key provisions of the Patriot Act, watch here ~ http://bit.ly/eOjSez.


In an active response from America, concerned citizens took action by contracting Congress, demanding they vote down the Patriot Act H.R. 514 and on February 8th Congress did just that!

The TROUBLING NEWS is that its up for another vote on Monday, Feb 14th, so we (again) strongly encourage contacting your representative in the House. Demand they defeat the Patriot Act H.R. 514.

Taking action is easy and quick, just follow this link ~ http://bit.ly/htAkJf from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, eff.org to send an email to Congress and your representative.

We also invite you to call your congressperson direct and leave a message this weekend, certainly before the vote on Monday, Valentines Day at 2pm eastern. Heres a handy link to contact Congress ~ http://bit.ly/hZr8xf

At 2pm eastern on Valentines Day, the House of Representatives will vote on the Patriot Act. At that moment, we ask concerned citizens to gather at federal buildings across the nation to peacefully assemble and demand Congress Defeat the Patriot Act, H.R. 514. This is our first assembly to reclaim civil liberties, demanding Congress vote down these Patriot Act extensions and protests will continue as the Patriot Act travels through Congress.

CALL-TO-ACTION: Come together and gather at Federal Buildings across the country, 2pm eastern (adjust for locale), Valentines Day. Stand for greater civil liberties, freedom and privacy for citizens in America, Defeat the Patriot Act H.R. 514!

Key reasons to VOTE DOWN the Patriot Act provisions:

The Patriot Act has not established that any of the powers given to the FBI and other intelligence agencies have actually PREVENTED acts of terrorism. Whats worse is the Patriot Act severely limits our personal freedoms and privacy. And now with the F.B.I. claiming peace protesters are terrorists, our right to dissent also goes out the window.

There is no oversight or accountability written into these key provisions of the Patriot Act. We suggest that Congress investigate the F.B.I., or hold the F.B.I. accountable for >40,000 of abuses as noted by eff.org here http://bit.ly/f0Jfcn.

The Patriot Act severely limits civil liberties and personal privacy. Additionally the provisions that Congress is voting on actually EXPANDS the reach and teeth of the Patriot Act, H.R. 514.

The more people participating and taking action over now, the better the our chances of voting the Patriot Act down again.

Yet be aware that the Patriot Act Valentines Day vote has much better odds of passing (we do not want this) as the House of Representative voting procedures required only greater than 50% to renew the Patriot Act. Its clear the backers of expanding and renewing H.R. 514, the Patriot Act are attempting to sneak this by us and Congress. Dont let them get away with it!

Do not allow H.R. 514 be renewed or enhanced. Stand for your rights now and make the call, send the email. Also, forward this note to your friends and family.