A bill that would reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program has been blocked by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that would reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. The legislative impasse follows an edict earlier in the day from former President Donald Trump to “kill” the measure.

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The bill in question would renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    8 months ago

    I can’t even remember the last time I was pleased by something the conservatives did, but this is good news as far as I’m concerned. This law was used to spy on Americans without a warrant when they make calls to people outside the country, and could also be used as a back door to retroactively search the information without a warrant. It has received criticism from many pro-privacy organizations and from the ACLU. Hopefully the awful Patriot Act gets revived reviewed(typo) next.

    • LovstuhagenOPMEnglish
      2·
      8 months ago

      That’s exactly right - so the conservatives do do something right.

      I also encourage all of us to be open minded on these things and to work with conservatives (or liberals if you are a conservative) when it comes to issues like this.

      The left and right who have principles have to unite against the center that has none whenever they can.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        You’re right of course, and it’s the only way a diverse democracy can function. What we’ve had for too long is not functional, it’s dysfunctional, or barely functional. We need to do a better job of understanding each other.

  • GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    8 months ago

    I’d be okay with FISA if they could be trusted with it, but they’ve proven that they can’t. That being said, taking a sledgehammer to our norms isn’t the way to go about fixing it.

    We have the Government we built. We can change it the same way we built it or we can let the people with the sledge hammers take care of it.

    If you don’t like the sledge hammer method, find local groups that match your ideals and get involved.

    If you -do- like the sledgehammer method… Maybe don’t join a group?

  • saticatEnglish
    3·
    8 months ago

    Yet another thing I couldn’t explain to my past self with a straight face.