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Senate Panel Votes to Extend Gov't Surveillance Powers
May 23, 2012
A Senate panel has voted to extend a controversial provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that is set to expire at the end of the year. The Obama administration has sought to renew its expanded authority to monitor phone calls and emails inside the United States if one person involved is abroad and the targets foreigners believed to be outside the country. The vote by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence comes shortly after news the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether a group of activists, journalists and lawyers represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have the legal right to challenge the U.S. government's surveillance practices, which they say could pick up their communications with clients and sources overseas.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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A Senate panel has voted to extend a controversial provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that is set to expire at the end of the year. The Obama administration has sought to renew its expanded authority to monitor phone calls and emails inside the United States if one person involved is abroad and the targets foreigners believed to be outside the country. The vote by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence comes shortly after news the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether a group of activists, journalists and lawyers represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have the legal right to challenge the U.S. government's surveillance practices, which they say could pick up their communications with clients and sources overseas.
A Senate panel has voted to extend a controversial provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that is set to expire at the end of the year. The Obama administration has sought to renew its expanded authority to monitor phone calls and emails inside the United States if one person involved is abroad and the targets foreigners believed to be outside the country. The vote by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence comes shortly after news the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether a group of activists, journalists and lawyers represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have the legal right to challenge the U.S. government's surveillance practices, which they say could pick up their communications with clients and sources overseas.
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