Trump administration urges Congress to reauthorize NSA surveillance program

[steven36]

The Trump administration is urging Congress to reauthorize the National Security Agency's (NSA) authority to collect phone record information on millions of Americans, according to a letter obtained by The Hill.

 

 

Dan Coats, the departing director of national intelligence (DNI), in a letter to senators dated Wednesday urged Congress to reauthorize all provisions in the USA Freedom Act, a controversial law that is set to expire later this year.

 

Top Republicans on the key committees overseeing the reauthorization of the law are likely to follow DNI's lead.

 

"I write to express the support of the Intelligence Community (IC) and Administration for the permanent reauthorization of the provisions of the USA Freedom Act of 2015 that are currently set to expire in December," Coats wrote in the letter, which was addressed to the top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee.

 

"These provisions provide the [intelligence community] with key national security authorities, and we look forward to working with the Congress on their permanent reauthorization," Coats added.

 

The administration's input comes as Congress braces for a battle over the reauthorization of the USA Freedom Act, which gives the government a broad range of surveillance authorities.

 

In the letter, Coats confirmed that the NSA has shuttered the call records program, the most contested provision of the law. But he said the government should retain its authority to restart the program if needed.

 

"The National Security Agency has suspended the call detail records program that uses this authority and deleted the call detail records acquired under this authority," Coats wrote. "This decision was made after balancing the program’s relative intelligence value, associated costs, and compliance and data integrity concerns caused by the unique complexities of using these company-generated business records for intelligence purposes."

 

"However, as technology changes, our adversaries’ tradecraft and communications habits will continue to evolve and adapt," he added. "In light of this dynamic environment, the Administration supports reauthorization of this provision as well."

 

The call detail records program allows the government to collect metadata — information like the length of calls, or when information is sent — on phone calls and text messages during terrorism investigations. Privacy activists have long maintained it is possible to glean highly sensitive information from those details.

 

A coalition of top privacy and civil rights groups in a letter on Wednesday pushed to end the NSA's mass phone data collection program, arguing it poses insurmountable threats to the privacy and civil liberties of millions of people, and called for other "meaningful surveillance reforms" to the law.

 

Coats is calling for Congress to reauthorize all of the provisions in the law, including those that allow the government to wiretap "lone wolf" terrorists and collect business records during a national security investigation.

 

A spokesperson for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, confirmed they have received the letter and are reviewing it.

 

While some lawmakers have already called for the sunset of Section 215 authorities, many of the key players in the congressional debate have not weighed in publicly yet.

 

Source

[flash48]

As I recall, during the 2016 Presidential election,  the government spied on Trump & other members of his Presidential campaign with wire taps using FISA warrants.  Perhaps he thinks now that he is president, the deep state will exempt him, his family & business.  I think not.

[frankl1n]

also the government should concentrate on helping its citizens, not spying on them, especially when using a false flag event like 911 to justify such things.

[steven36]

6 hours ago, flash48 said:

As I recall, during the 2016 Presidential election,  the government spied on Trump & other members of his Presidential campaign with wire taps using FISA warrants.  Perhaps he thinks now that he is president, the deep state will exempt him, his family & business.  I think not.

You can thank  the shootings for this and truthfully just talking about  the deep state is enough to make the FBI watch you for domestic terrorism . So you it's not just the NSA  you need to worry about. 

https://psmag.com/social-justice/is-a-conspiracy-theory-protected-speech

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/expert-warns-new-fbi-directive-on-conspiracies-can-be-abused-11337519

 

If you look up what Deep State means in the USA  it listed , the term "deep state" is used to describe a conspiracy theory which suggests that collusion and cronyism exist within the US political system and constitutes a hidden government within the legitimately elected government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_state_in_the_United_States

 

Talking about conspiracy theories put you under the FBI's directive , they want to make it legal for them to monitor you again, but they do it regardless if legal or not it just want hold up in court and  they want admit too it  but lots of times it leads to them finding something that will  !

 

There is no deep state the Government have always spied on people both parties ,  the patriot act was enacted  under Bush  witch gave the NSA these powers to begin with, Lincoln  was the only president to impose martial law in all 50 states and it was Bush again who passed H.R. 5122 that gave the president the power to declare martial law and to take command of the National Guard units of each state without the consent of state governors.

[flash48]

On 8/17/2019 at 1:38 PM, steven36 said:

 Lincoln  was the only president to impose martial law in all 50 states and it was Bush again who passed H.R. 5122 that gave the president the power to declare martial law and to take command of the National Guard units of each state without the consent of state governors.

 

This is why the founding Fathers created the Second Amendment.  If the government tries to take away  our freedom,  We the People have a way to fight back.