A Different Amendment Restricting NSA Spying Was Passed Overwhelmingly by the House – But ‘No On

A small step but is it enough?

TheBlaze

The Pompeo amendment (championed by Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas) passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 409-12. However, “no one is talking about it,” Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) told TheBlaze on Thursday.

And this is hopeful, but will it happen?

The Texas congressman said lawmakers also intend to “rewrite” the Patriot Act sometime this fall and lamented the fact that he and other conservatives were fooled into voting for it the first time around. He said lawmakers were led to believe that the government would only be targeting “overseas foreign nationals whose phone calls were routed through the United States,” not American citizens.

I would like to see the act repealed, but maybe something will come of the rewrite.

Why do we have to wait until fall? Prioritizing important issues to the front of the line seems like the common sense way of passing legislation.

Though common sense and passing legislation in the same sentence seems like a misnomer

Originally posted by cconn487
Why do we have to wait until fall? Prioritizing important issues to the front of the line seems like the common sense way of passing legislation.

Though common sense and passing legislation in the same sentence seems like a misnomer

Exactly !!

It seems I remember some talk at the time of the first voting on this mess about it being "vital for our national security".
I suppose our "natural rights as citizens" is not quite so important.
Or, maybe, they think we will just forget about it by the fall.

The Texas congressman said lawmakers also intend to “rewrite” the Patriot Act sometime this fall and lamented the fact that he and other conservatives were fooled into voting for it the first time around.

Okay thats for the first time, what about the 2nd time they renewed it?

Fooled twice?

Or sensing the winds changing.

From the Op's source for those who don't wanna read the whole thing. ( I am posting a few parts)

The amendment that passed is reportedly intended to “ensure none of the funds may be used by the NSA to target a U.S. person or acquire and store the content of a U.S. person’s communications, including phone calls and e-mails.”

In contrast, the Amash amendment sought to “end authority for the blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act. It would also bar the NSA and other agencies from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records, including telephone call records, that pertain to persons who are not subject to an investigation under Section 215.”

He argued the amendment properly requires that no funds can be used by the NSA to collect or store the content of American citizens’ communications data. This includes phone calls and emails. The amendment; however, does not seem to restrict the NSA’s ability to continue collecting and storing massive amounts metadata.

The Amash amendment would have prevented the NSA from using any funds to collect any data on persons that are not under investigation.

“This would protect the data of terrorists who are operating sleeper cells in this country and make us vulnerable to future terrorist attacks,” Culberson said of the Amash amendment, adding that it “would do nothing to reform the NSA surveillance program and would do nothing to ensure that the privacy of American citizens is protected.”

Here is the exact phrasing of the Pompeo amendment (emphasis added):

None of funds made available by this Act may be used by the National Security Agency to–

(1) conduct an acquisition pursuant to section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 for the purpose of targeting a United States person; or

(2) acquire, monitor, or store the contents (as such term is defined in section 2510(8) of title 18, United States Code) of any electronic communication of a United States person from a provider of electronic communication services to the public pursuant to section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

Culberson was highly critical of Snowden, calling him an “idiot” and a “traitor.” He also said President Obama and his administration have demonstrated an “utter disregard for the law.”

“That’s the way to reign in a lawless president,” Culberson told TheBlaze, “by controlling the money.”

The editors note at the end says,

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the clarification that the Pompeo amendment does not seem to restrict the NSA’s ability to continue collecting and storing individuals’ metadata.

I'm thinking the NSA has monies from so many sources they do not need the official monies to conduct their illegal snooping.

This is not an admonishment in any way that suggests the NSA is going to stop this snooping. This is more government double speak to further confuse the masses and make them think they are not at risk.