Meet the Senators Who Earlier Today Voted to Destroy Your Civil Liberties

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Yesterday, I published a post warning about an amendment to be put up for a vote in the U.S. Senate that would severely harm the civil liberties of American citizens. I was very disappointed to see an unusually low amount of reads on that particular post, which came in well below average despite being such an important issue.

Well it turns out John McCain’s amendment 4787 came up for a vote earlier today, and it was stopped by one vote. Yes, by one vote.

So what’s at stake? Let’s review an excerpt from yesterday’s post, Republican Senators Use Orlando Shooting to Push for Increased Government Spying Powers:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up a vote late on Monday to expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s authority to use a secretive surveillance order without a warrant to include email metadata and some browsing history information.

The amendment would broaden the FBI’s authority to use so-called National Security Letters to include electronic communications transaction records such as time stamps of emails and the emails’ senders and recipients.

NSLs do not require a warrant and are almost always accompanied by a gag order preventing the service provider from sharing the request with a targeted user.

Sounds pretty important, but no one seemed to care yesterday. Fortunately, the vote (barely) went the right way, but Mitch McConnell switched his vote to NO at the end just so that he could regroup and push for another vote.

As US News reported:

Privacy-minded senators on Wednesday blocked an amendment that would give the FBI power to take internet records, including browser histories and email metadata, without a court order. But the victory may be fleeting.

Just one vote kept the measure from clearing a 60-vote procedural hurdle, and political arm-twisting may soon result in a second vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., switched his vote to “no” to allow reconsideration in the near future. That made the final tally 58-38, with four senators not voting.

As such, it’s very important that everyone understand where their Senators stand on this issue. Notably, Mr. fake “libertarian” Ted Cruz, who always pretends to care about civil liberties, voted in favor of giving the FBI more unconstitutional powers. There were a few handful of Republicans who voted against it, and they should be commended. They are:

Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Cory Gardner (Colorado)
Rand Paul (Kentucky)
Steve Daines (Montana)
Dean Heller (Nevada)
Mike Lee (Utah)

To find out how your Senator voted, click here, and let them know how you feel.

In Liberty,
Michael Krieger

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18 thoughts on “Meet the Senators Who Earlier Today Voted to Destroy Your Civil Liberties”

  1. One vote??? Good god. I called Senators and donated to the campaign against it yesterday, but it looks like the fight isn’t over. Onward & upward!

    Reply
    • Sorry, but your comment is lost on me. I am already doing what I can on my part. I do not control the world. All I can do is all I can do — and I hope yo are too. Best wishes to you.

  2. I think maybe some of us paying attention have come to the conclusion that its time to just let it keep steam rolling on until there is no other choice, no other way for the masses to deny that its happening, than to stand aside and let it collapse. Maybe its because we are generally unrepresented, we know there is not a critical mass that will shift the system peacefully and maybe speaking personally its time to move from the constant blathering and kick off some premeditated targeted removal of the worlds parasites. Maybe the unusually low reads are from people like me that are so overworked, exhausted by this grinding machine, so unfulfilled from trying to do the right thing that we actually crave the collapse because in this light we are guaranteed a chance to start a new (good or bad), rather than muddling along in the mediocre drudgery of everyday life with the acute awareness that there is no solution that will ever come from Washington D. C. no matter how many times I write my senator or occupy Wall Street. Sorry to be a dick,but I would bet I’m not the only one who feels this way. Just had to vent, now back to the fight, Thanks Mike

    Reply
    • Sadly, I admit ht I have arrived at about the same place some time ago. As much as I want to believe, I only believe there is no hope for me, that I will never matter enough in this mess to . . ..
      In all my attempts to get someone in office to respond to my concerns all I encounter are those who seem to think they are somehow anointed to some special place much higher than the likes of me and who see my efforts to make things better or to access my rights as not only a bother but as a pathology to be “dealt with” in the most seriously dismissive or punitive ways they can get away with – – and, unfortunately, that is many. Sound paranoid? Try living in this place and being a progressive liberal Socialist. I am dumbfounded at the number of idiots I encounter who are consistently willing to vote against their own best interests for no other stupidity than to “support the party,” and THIS IS NO PARTY. I am tired, overwhelmed and most of al in despair and feeling no hope if these jackals stay in or get into power. I now believe that the only way anything will change is if EVERY incumbent is voted out of office and an entire new blood group comes in – -but it must be a progressive liberal Socialist blood group. I have speculated on what would happen if Trump convinced Bernie to run with him as VP – – and Bernie only agreeing if Trump would grant him some powerful, meaningful and practical political largesse and make him his “most-favored” advisor, giving him the power also to make policy – – but then, again, I believe I am past dreaming and must be hallucinating. So, as you said, to me all that’s left is to “just let it keep steam rolling on until there is no other choice, no other way for the masses to deny that its happening, than to stand aside and let it collapse.” But protect ourselves as best we can for when it does.
      I so wish you well.

    • To J’Marinde,
      Thanks and may wellness be with you.
      For all we do and would like to see happen, maybe this whole mess is exactly what is needed for the human race to evolve, the final chance, the final wake up call. Today I can dig deeper than despair and find that small flicker of flame that ignites my will and firms my resolve.
      Good Luck J’Marinde and everyone else, may we find a way.

    • Have you ever read JB? I sometimes find hope in the final lines as quoted by Rabbi Harold Kushner Your perspective reminds me of them.:
      “The candles are out in the churches,
      the stars have gone out in the sky,
      blow on the coal of the heart
      and we’ll see by and by”

      Thank you for the well wises. I wish the same for you and yours. Godspeed

    • Pardon my ignorance but who or what is JB? I’m always open to reading anything that can educate, enlighten , etc.

  3. Franklin said it best:

    In these sentiments, sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults if they are such; because I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people, if well administered; and I believe further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.

    Reply
  4. If the U.S. didn’t have so many people on meth, booze, stupid Hollywood movies, books written by leftist globalist enabling goons in universities, people like Clinton Pelosi and a whole slew of LEFTISTS WOULD BE SUMMARILY VOTED OUT OF OFFICE WITH A 50 PERCENT IMPROVEMENT ON MAIN ST. U.S.A.

    Reply
  5. All of you must be using common core math, that is the ONLY way you could get “by ONE vote” out of a vote of 58 to 38. Before CC that was 20 vote’s.

    Reply
    • Wrong. They needed 60 votes for it to pass. McConnell was a yes, but switched to NO so he could call it up for another vote. So they actually had 59, one short of the 60 needed.

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