John,
BREAKING: Congress just voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act by sneaking it into a must-pass bill to prevent a government shutdown—and Democrats went right along with it.1
It’s frankly shocking that Democratic leaders rubber-stamped such sweeping mass surveillance powers for a president they are actively working to impeach. But this reauthorization only lasts for three months, so if we can spark a serious public backlash, we have a chance to stop the Patriot Act by March.
We have three months to turn the tide and demand that Congress rein in the Patriot Act’s invasive, sweeping surveillance powers. Will you rush an urgent donation today?
DONATE
Passed hastily after 9/11, the Patriot Act massively expanded government surveillance and investigative powers. It eliminated the judicial checks and balances that previously allows courts to prevent abuses of power by law enforcement.
It is one of the most significant threats to civil liberties, privacy, and democratic traditions in our history—and since Democrats control the House of Representatives, they have the power to demand meaningful reforms.2
But Democratic leaders agreed to reauthorize it carte blanche, and only a handful of House Democrats had the courage to vote no—despite their stated desire to impeach the president for abusing his office.3
The good news is that high-profile Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and IIhan Omar voted no, as well as independent Justin Amash, and with their help, we can generate serious public pressure on House leaders over the next three months and rein in government spying. But we can't create the large-scale campaign we need without an urgent influx of funding—so we’re counting on you to pitch in today.
Will you chip in to demand that the government stop the Patriot Act?
For our privacy,
Evan at Fight for the Future
Footnotes:
1. Medium: https://medium.com/@fightfortheftr/congress-is-about-to-reauthorize-the-patriot-act-as-part-of-a-must-pass-spending-bill-7e5b6ddb9d05
2. EFF: https://www.eff.org/issues/patriot-act
3. Decide the Future: https://www.decidethefuture.org/
Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.
