Mitch McConnell Crosses The Line After Giving Patriot Act Warrantless Internet Access to FBI

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had been pushing forward an amendment that would allow the FBI to collect records on Americans’ web-browsing and search histories without a warrant this week.

The McConnell proposed amendment is earmarked to the renewal of the 2001 Patriot Act, which is the most basic brother legislation we’ve ever seen in this country that completely disregards the United States Constitution.

This horrid amendment permits the Department of Justice officials to look through anyone’s browsing history without the approval of a judge if they deem the browsing history relevant to an investigation. It blocks the FBI from accessing the “content” of people’s web-browsing history but would let the FBI access records detailing which sites and search terms people entered.

There was certainly pushback from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity including both sides of the senate as Senators (D) Ron Wyden & (R) Steve Daines who gave McConnell a run for his money proposing an amendment that would specifically prevent law enforcement or government officials from collecting browsing data and search history without a warrant.

Both Senators gave favorable speeches hitting tones that appealed to party interests like Daines who said it would help prevent a politically motivated FBI from abusing FISA courts to secretly investigate President Trump’s campaign and advisors or Wyden that said it would prevent abuse of FISA courts to secretly investigate Trump’s perceived enemies by Attorney General Bill Barr’s politically motivated Department of Justice. Both said the amendment would further protect Americans’ privacy which is what it’s all about.

Getting access to somebody’s web browsing history is almost like spying on their thoughts, …This level of surveillance absolutely ought to require a warrant.

Senator Ron Wyden

The amendment failed to pass by one vote-getting 59 in and 37 opposed, needing 60 overall, Senator Bernie Sanders did not show up to vote and no word where he was or why he wasn’t in attendance. Several others weren’t in attendance due to quarantine.

The more people keep voting for pieces of shit like McConnell and Pelosi the United States will never go forward and the more the country steers towards a bigger brother government. People like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are heroes for people everywhere because our rights matter we just need to pay attention.

If it wasn’t for people like Snowden and Assange the United States wouldn’t have had any reforms to the unconstitutional legislation like USA Freedom Act.

The USA Freedom Act

The Freedom Act focuses on the collection of Americans’ phone records by the National Security Agency. The USA Freedom Act creates a new, streamlined process for getting access to Americans’ phone records, but it requires these requests to be focused on a specific “selector,” such as a customer name or phone number. It explicitly prohibits the bulk collection of customer data.

The bill also takes steps to make the NSA’s activities more transparent and accountable. Right now, when the government asks the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to approve surveillance activities, there is no one around to present opposing arguments. The USA Freedom Act changes that by creating several new positions for court-appointed public advocates who could participate in FISC proceedings.

The bill also requires the government to disclose significant FISC opinions (though the government could decline to publish them if it decides to do so would damage national security) and publish detailed statistics about the extent of domestic spying activities.