The Patriot Act, officially the USA PATRIOT Act, was legislation passed by Congress in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was signed into law by former President George W. Bush in October 2001, and it significantly expanded the search and surveillance powers of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. (Related: Anti-TikTok legislation a thinly-disguised Patriot Act for the internet.)
"The number one thing I want to do when I get to Congress is to repeal the Patriot Act. Everything about it is unconstitutional," said Kane, who is now running for the seventh Congressional District of Texas. "It did nothing for American citizens except to turn them into terrorists. It's a reason to weaponize the government against us."
Kane said the government is eavesdropping on every little thing that Americans are doing, and the DHS has been a problem for 20 years that is coming to a head.
"These folks have got to be held to account or dismantled. The repealing of the Patriot Act would do that. It would get rid of the DHS. They would have no further use in the United States," Kane stated.
My first bill when I get to Congress will be short and sweet:
REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT!
Who’s with me?
— Caroline Kane for Congress (@CarolineKaneTX) June 7, 2023
Florida Republican introduced legislation to repeal Patriot Act in House
Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida beat Kane to the punch. On Wednesday, June 20, Steube introduced a bill that would repeal the Patriot Act.
"The Protect Our Civil Liberties Act" actually seeks to repeal both the Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act of 2008. Steube said repealing both laws would restore Americans' civil liberties, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
"For decades now, the misnamed Patriot Act and the 2008 FISA Amendments Act have allowed the federal government to trample on the rights of law-abiding American citizens. As the federal government has become increasingly weaponized against its own people, it is imperative we rein in this overreach," said Steube. "We can have a secure nation and retain our civil liberties at the same time."
According to Steube and his office, the Patriot Act was a "hurried re-write of our nation's surveillance laws" that resulted in greatly expanding the government's ability to spy, conduct warrantless searches and obtain the private records – even those held by non-government third parties – of American citizens.
Federal agencies, especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DHS, have abused many sections of the Patriot Act since its passage.
Meanwhile, the FISA Amendments Act wrongfully permitted the federal government to collect untold amounts of personal data and communications from Americans, including email traffic, recorded phone calls and transcripts and text messages – all supposedly done in the name of national security.
Learn more about government overreach at BigGovernment.news.
Watch the June 16 episode of "Right Now with Ann Vandersteel" below. The show airs weekdays at 8 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.
More related stories:
US government says it owns everyone's THOUGHTS, calling it "cognitive infrastructure."
UNCONSTITUTIONAL: In 2021, the FBI conducted more than 278,000 warrantless searches on US citizens.
Constitutional scholar David Jose: Americans have power over their government.
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