| The O carries a story from this afternoon describing a trio of Democratic Senators who are seeking a slowdown on the potential extension of some of the more egregious USA PATRIOT provisions otherwise set to expire. (Betcha didn't know the Act's title was actually in acronym form, didya? It's short for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism...Act.) Along with Russ Feingold of Wiscosin and Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois is our own Ron Wyden, who--compared to his stance on healthcare--is well out in front of his caucus on surveillance and civil liberty issues, and continues to lead progressive interests in the Senate:
Wyden is spearheading an effort to place tighter rules and oversight on the so-called business records provision in the law. Under the current law which expires Dec. 31, federal investigators can scoop up individuals' bank and financial records, medical information, DNA and other "tangible things" (the law's actual wording) without having to prove that the individuals have any connection to terrorist activities.
But Wyden and his allies believe the definition is too broad and too easily allows government officials to conduct "fishing expeditions" of people who may not have any involvement with terror activities.
The "business records" provision sets the standard that the government must meet to obtain an individual's personal information from banks, hospitals, libraries, retail stores and other institutions. On a pure workload and intellectual basis I think President Obama can handle multitasking on a variety of issues, but the media and the general public may not be so facile. I've been aware of the business records provision and the attention it's been getting in prog-wonk circles, because it's among the most ridiculously overreaching of the PATRIOT provisions, and one that has great potential for touching the lives of ordinary Americans in their homes and businesses. But with stimulus and health care and climate and Afghanistan and banking all taking up chunks of our collective consciousness, we run out of things to devote your outrage and our energy to. So Wyden's work is vitally important and far-reaching--but you gotta have the energy, and we're glad he has it on our behalf for this one. Would that Congress could muster the juice as The Onion imagines it, citing the Senior Senator in a post-passage throwdown: Diehard fans of H.R. 2651 charged the floor of the Senate chamber Tuesday after their bill, a 14-vote underdog nicknamed the Maritime Workforce Development Act, passed 51-49 with just moments to go in the legislative session...A champagne-soaked Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), whose last-second vote clinched the bill's passage, said the guys on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee deserved much of the credit, but that the biggest thanks should go to God. |
RSS Feed: http://www.loadedorygun.net/rss/rss2.xml
