John,

BREAKING NEWS: Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act expired on Sunday after political infighting prevented a vote on free speech and privacy amendments.¹ The Senate still has an opportunity to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act next week, but we can stop them.

Call (202) 930-8115 now and tell your Senators to vote NO on PATRIOT Act reauthorization.

For years, US law enforcement and intelligence agencies have used the PATRIOT Act to justify spying on hundreds of millions of Americans with almost no benefit to national security.² Things have only gotten worse under the Trump Administration, as the FBI has specifically targeted journalists³ and racial justice activists⁴ for unconstitutional surveillance.

But all that’s about to come to an end … at least temporarily, as key provisions of the PATRIOT Act expired on Sunday night. The Senate is expected to vote on renewing this legislation next week. Some Senators — such as Rand Paul (R–KY) and Mike Lee (R–UT) — are expected to oppose renewal,⁵ though Majority Mitch McConnell has vowed that “this bill is going to pass.⁶”

The fact that Congress let pieces of the PATRIOT Act expire at all shows that it isn’t as important to national security as we’ve been led to believe. In fact, Senator Richard Burr (R–NC) bragged that the government can conduct mass surveillance “without Congress’s approval.⁷” That’s also unconstitutional, of course. And it’s just one more piece of damning evidence that proves these lawmakers can’t be trusted with the power to spy on Americans.

Let’s put an end to the PATRIOT Act once and for all. Call (202) 930-8115 now and tell your Senators that government spying needs to stop.

Best,

Dayton at Fight for the Future

Footnotes:

1. The Hill: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/487355-senate-standoff-means-intel-programs-to-lapse

2. New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/us/politics/nsa-phone-program.html

3. The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/when-will-the-nsa-stop-spying-on-the-communications-of-innocent-americans/389375/

4. The Intercept: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/when-will-the-nsa-stop-spying-on-the-communications-of-innocent-americans/389375/

5. National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-to-host-ag-barr-rand-paul-and-mike-lee-in-bid-for-gop-unity-on-fisa-reform/

6. Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/12/rand-paul-to-oppose-surveillance-bill-127128

7. C-SPAN: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4860932/user-clip-sen-burr-claims-eo-12333-permits-mass-surveillance-without-congresss-permission

Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.