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group of senators want answers on NSA servailence

Unitedwestand13

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A bipartisan group of senators want answers to seven specific questions

1) How long has the NSA used PATRIOT Act authorities to engage in bulk collection of Americans’ records? Was this collection underway when the law was reauthorized in 2006?

2) Has the NSA used USA PATRIOT Act authorities to conduct bulk collection of any other types of records pertaining to Americans, beyond phone records?

3) Has the NSA collected or made any plans to collect Americans’ cell-site location data in bulk?

4) Have there been any violations of the court orders permitting this bulk collection, or of the rules governing access to these records? If so, please describe these violations.

5) Please identify any specific examples of instances in which intelligence gained by reviewing phone records obtained through Section 215 bulk collection proved useful in thwarting a particular terrorist plot.

6) Please provide specific examples of instances in which useful intelligence was gained by reviewing phone records that could not have been obtained without the bulk collection authority, if such examples exist.

7) Please describe the employment status of all persons with conceivable access to this data, including IT professionals, and detail whether they are federal employees, civilian or military, or contractors.

The senators who signed the letter are: Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Udall (D-CO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Udall (D-NM), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dean Heller (R-NV), Mark Begich (D-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Al Franken (D-MN), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Max Baucus (D-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT).

Bipartisan Group Of Senators Wants Answers On NSA Surveillance

Why is no one talking about this?
 
I don't believe it - President Obama assured the public that congress had been frequently fully briefed on the program and we all know President Obama doesn't lie.
 
I don't believe it - President Obama assured the public that congress had been frequently fully briefed on the program and we all know President Obama doesn't lie.

the funny thing is that the majority of the senators on this list are democrats, does that make you at least curious why it is mostly democrats asking these questions?
 
funny i thought more people would be interested in this story?

lots of folks are interested..... very few believe anything will be done about it.

the left will just blame the right, the right will blame the left, and the culpable parties will play in that division and nothing will happen.... as usual.

these Senators asking questions pretending to be interested?.. they are the same schmucks who think the guy who blew the lid on it is a traitor.
 
the funny thing is that the majority of the senators on this list are democrats, does that make you at least curious why it is mostly democrats asking these questions?


The NSA surveillance works with Corporate/Gov''t/Military "fusion centers and is the power behind the coming Corporatocracy. We've given all the Country's money to the big Banks and it's time to consolidate forces. Perhaps? We know the Republicans are the Party of Big Business and it doesn't get any bigger banks and where the Energy Corporations put their monies. OTOH, I think many Dems are just as sold out as the Repubs, just more discreet.
 
lots of folks are interested..... very few believe anything will be done about it.

the left will just blame the right, the right will blame the left, and the culpable parties will play in that division and nothing will happen.... as usual.

these Senators asking questions pretending to be interested?.. they are the same schmucks who think the guy who blew the lid on it is a traitor.

i think the senators from Oregon are serious in wanting answers, and the fact that their petition has 26 senators signed onto it is nothing to sneeze at
 
Oh please. I have seen numerous stories over the years about the NSA and the PATRIOT Act that made it no secret that a lot of things were being collected domestically because of the way technology works with telephone calls and emails and such bouncing all around the globe even if you were communicating with someone down the road from you. While I am not saying I condone some of the things going on in terms of service providers allegedly just letting them straight into their networks with no warrants, but nobody can convince me that they are "shocked" or even "surprised". PRISM is nothing but the next generation of Carnivore and the existence of that program/system dates back to the late 90's.
 
i'm glad to see that the coalition which is requesting for this inquiry is bipartisan, just like the overwhelmingly bipartisan coalition which authorized the "patriot" act in the first place.

next time, read what you're signing into law before signing it..

sincerely,

everyone
 
i think the senators from Oregon are serious in wanting answers, and the fact that their petition has 26 senators signed onto it is nothing to sneeze at

calling for answers/accountability is commonplace.... seeing it through is pretty rare, though.

it's part of the political game the parties play
 
Considering our 'leaders' signed it into law without even reading it, I'm not surprised they were totally unaware this was going on, or that a majority are hoping it just goes away. Of course, it's totally valid to ask if ANY of this spying on the public actually helped to prevent at attack, but one would hope this review would take place more than once a decade. I've always been in favor of needing a warrant, with regular review and accountability, before any phone records, internet searches, or other personal info is seized.
 
calling for answers/accountability is commonplace.... seeing it through is pretty rare, though.

it's part of the political game the parties play

Or the, "Let's get to the bottom of this so it never happens again," routine.

Senators and Congressmen/women follow, pretty much verbatim, the same script every time there is some controversy that makes headlines in the papers and/or angers the public.
 
the funny thing is that the majority of the senators on this list are democrats, does that make you at least curious why it is mostly democrats asking these questions?

It was a little facetious - not a serious comment on my part.
 
First step should be to remove the patriot act. If we can have 38 votes to get rid of the ACA can we get them to vote on getting rid of the patriot act? It is great they are asking questions, but they are leaving the power in place. No one is going to pay attention to the same BS congressional inquiries that have been overplayed and useless over the last year. Congress has been crying wolf about benghazi and the IRS, and people are just tired of hearing it. Nothing gets done and they just look like fools. They could actually do something and get rid of the patriot act and any other things that let the executive act without warrants, but no they want to ask questions until everyone forgets about it.
 
First step should be to remove the patriot act. If we can have 38 votes to get rid of the ACA can we get them to vote on getting rid of the patriot act? It is great they are asking questions, but they are leaving the power in place. No one is going to pay attention to the same BS congressional inquiries that have been overplayed and useless over the last year. Congress has been crying wolf about benghazi and the IRS, and people are just tired of hearing it. Nothing gets done and they just look like fools. They could actually do something and get rid of the patriot act and any other things that let the executive act without warrants, but no they want to ask questions until everyone forgets about it.

the PATRIOT act is here to stay... the only folks who oppose it are the ones folks here call crazy and dangerous...the outliers (libertarians and socialists)
 
This shows there are a few good men in Congress. Very damn few, but a few.

Hopefully something good will come of it.

They should repeal the Patriot Act, yesterday, and the NDAA amendment and a long list of other illegitimate legislation passed at the altar of the GWOT.
 
I opposed the Patriot Act from it's inception, I oppose it still. Whatever small benefit it ever had was never worth the loss of so many rights and liberties it infringed.

IT NEEDS TO GO!
 
I opposed the Patriot Act from it's inception, I oppose it still. Whatever small benefit it ever had was never worth the loss of so many rights and liberties it infringed.

IT NEEDS TO GO!

It was brought under fraud, and passed in the middle of the night by a congress scared silly over the anthrax mailings.
 
At a town hall meeting yesterday(which I attended)my congressman,Jim Sensenbrenner,the Act's author,admitted it needs major revisions. Said they are likely to pass some changes in the judiciary. Of course,it would still have to be allowed on the floor by Boehner,who could block it unless a discharge petition goes through.
 
lots of folks are interested..... very few believe anything will be done about it.

the left will just blame the right, the right will blame the left, and the culpable parties will play in that division and nothing will happen.... as usual.

these Senators asking questions pretending to be interested?.. they are the same schmucks who think the guy who blew the lid on it is a traitor.

No, these are the same schmucks that allowed the act to be passed without reading it. The same schmucks that didn't think to ask deeper questions prior to Snowden.

You know when Dick Cheney defends ANY Obama policies, something stinks in the woodshed.

The congressional inquiry is simply part of the same old road show.. just a rouse to say, "no worries, we looked at it, wagged our finger, go back to shopping".
 
I don't believe it - President Obama assured the public that congress had been frequently fully briefed on the program and we all know President Obama doesn't lie.

There's just no telling what's going to warrant our President's attention and what's not ...

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