First GOP Congressman apologizes for voting for Patriot Act

[tsai3904]

Rep. John Culberson (TX-7)


Restoring Individual Liberty and Privacy

It looks like everyone who warned me about the Patriot Act was right - we have all been systematically lied to. It is as though we live in a totalitarian police state, and I will do everything in my power to undo the damage done to our privacy, our liberty, and our Republic. As the Declaration of Independence states, "whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it..."

I intend to start by filing legislation to start systematically shutting down the federal government by restoring the 10th Amendment powers of the States and restoring absolute individual liberty and privacy. I will begin with shutting down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and strictly limiting its mission to securing our borders and ports of entry and tracking, detaining, and deporting foreign nationals. I will also figure out how to repeal and/or roll back the Patriot Act to restore the absolute right to privacy that every law abiding American citizen is supposed to enjoy.

DHS should focus on its core mission and leave police powers and protecting lives and property to individual Americans under the Second Amendment and local sheriffs and the States under the Tenth Amendment. We should follow Israel's model for homeland security by focusing on behavior and people rather than focusing on objects. This is not complicated. Political correctness needs to be tossed out in favor of common sense law enforcement techniques and an absolute guarantee of privacy for law abiding American citizens.

I regret that I voted to create the Department of Homeland Security and I regret that I voted for the Patriot Act. I never saw evidence of abuse of our privacy because Congress was lied to just as the public has been lied to. I will work hard to undo the damage these laws have done to our liberty, our privacy, and our Republic. I will be a zealot on restoring our liberty and shutting down as much of the federal police state as I can.

http://culbersonforms.house.gov/news/email/show.aspx?ID=PH6T4LWSPLEOTAFO2B36QCVTOY

Press release:
http://culberson.house.gov/restoring-individual-liberty-and-privacy/

July 24 Update: Rep. Culberson voted against the Amash Amendment that would have limited the NSA collection of everyone's phone records.

July 25 Update: Rep. Culberson doubles down and writes this "Why the Amash Amendment Wouldn’t Have Protected You (http://culberson.house.gov/why-the-amash-amendment-wouldnt-have-protected-you/)".

[Origanalist]

Ha, ha. Here they come, hat in hands. We're sorry, we just didn't realize......

BULLSHIT!

[TaftFan]

Nice!

[Christian Liberty]

Sounds sincere. I know he might not be, but he sounds like it. If he really does turn around, he should be forgiven.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Beautiful...

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Ha, ha. Here they come, hat in hands. We're sorry, we just didn't realize......

BULLSHIT!

Yeah still vote his ass out...

but hopefully he is sincere.

[Cleaner44]

I will applaud any and all Congressmen that will publicly declare they were part of the problem and now want to be part of the solution. We need more of this.

[erowe1]

I intend to start by filing legislation to start systematically shutting down the federal government by restoring the 10th Amendment powers of the States and restoring absolute individual liberty and privacy.

Pardon?

[talkingpointes]

So just an apology, and they're fine. They need to change jobs. That was 12 years ago. What ELSE have they done. They only apologize for this. Come on gang.

Opps, got caught *shrugs* sorry. : )

[newbitech]

It looks like everyone who warned me about the Patriot Act was right - we have all been systematically lied to.

at least he's not all, "but no one could have know this would have happened!"

[belian78]

IF he's sincere, then he needs to have support from us, he'll need all the help he can get.

[luctor-et-emergo]

I will applaud any and all Congressmen that will publicly declare they were part of the problem and now want to be part of the solution. We need more of this.

Yup! Admitting they were wrong is something politicians are really bad at. If they do admit it, praise them for doing so.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Actions talk, words walk. Lets see what he does.

-t

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

How exactly does one "dismantle" something by merely altering it's mission?

[erowe1]

It doesn't matter if he's sincere. To the extent that he serves our interests, we should work with him.

If he sponsors a bill to eliminate DHS, then we should rally support behind that.

If he's sincere, then great. If not, then it's just calling his bluff.

[Origanalist]

Pardon?

It sounds really great. Right now there is a huge uproar going on over this and you're going to see a lot more of them coming forward like this. As long as the decibels stay up we're going to keep hearing this. What he SAYS sounds great, let's watch what he DOES.

[Christian Liberty]

It doesn't matter if he's sincere. To the extent that he serves our interests, we should work with him.

If he sponsors a bill to eliminate DHS, then we should rally support behind that.

If he's sincere, then great. If not, then it's just calling his bluff.

Not to mention...

I'm not apologizing for what he did. I'm not even saying that, if we actually got to the point of a Walter Blockean Nuremberg Trial, that he should necessarily get off just because he turned around (Personally, I think I'd vote to let someone like this, if he really were sincere, off but that's just me). That, however, is fantasy, we're never going to get all the way to minarchy or anarchy, so we need to work with what we've got.

IF this guy is sincere, he should absolutely not give up his position. I'm not saying we should believe him right away, but if he really is sincere, he should fight for liberty right where he is. To turn tails and run because of his bad choices in the past would be the WORST thing he could do.

[belian78]

How exactly does one "dismantle" something by merely altering it's mission?
By rethinking what the proper role of government ought to be, we as a nation would find that 95% of today's fed gov is simply not needed. From there, shuttering those agencies would be dismantling the current for of our fed gov.

[compromise]

I hope more apologize too. Would be nice to see the Patriot Act defeated.

[Christian Liberty]

Technically it was poorly worded, but technically I wouldn't "Dismantle" the Federal government either if I could actually control it. I'd just limit it to defense of the country and that's it. But cutting it by 90% is all but "Dismantling" it. A poor choice of words, but not a dealbreaker.

[belian78]

I hope more apologize too. Would be nice to see the Patriot Act defeated.
If this really starts to take hold, and really starts to make headway, I think you'll see the mask completely fall off. TPTB will throw off any last pretenses as to why all these things have been implemented.

I would love to see it happen too, if we as a nation could scrap the patriot act peacefully, I'd start to actually be optimistic about our future.

[lib3rtarian]

Let's applaud the people who realize the error of their ways. It takes a good man to apologize for his mistakes and promise to correct them.

[Spoa]

Let's applaud the people who realize the error of their ways. It takes a good man to apologize for his mistakes and promise to correct them.

I agree. He's a thousand times better than Lindsey Graham or John McCain who try to justify the government's actions and never apologize.

[erowe1]

Is there a good article explaining the connection between the Patriot Act and PRISM?

I keep seeing it bandied about that the Patriot Act is where the authority for PRISM comes from. But does the Patriot Act even really authorize it? If so, then what do we need a whistle blower for?

[FSP-Rebel]

Repent and thou shalt be forgiven, cast away your evil ways!

[noneedtoaggress]

By rethinking what the proper role of government ought to be, we as a nation would find that 95% of today's fed gov is simply not needed. From there, shuttering those agencies would be dismantling the current for of our fed gov.

It's more than 95%.

[tsai3904]

Is there a good article explaining the connection between the Patriot Act and PRISM?

It seems like PRISM was born through the Protect America Act of 2007 (S. 1927 of 110th Congress).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/06/how-congress-unknowingly-legalized-prism-in-2007/

[erowe1]

It seems like PRISM was born through the Protect America Act of 2007 (S. 1927 of 110th Congress).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/06/how-congress-unknowingly-legalized-prism-in-2007/

Thanks. I wish all these people would stop using "Patriot Act" as a catch-all for 100 different acts.

[Origanalist]

John is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for funding the federal government. His position on the committee allows him to promote his vision for effective government – lower taxes, less regulation, and more local control. In 2011, John was selected to chair the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. With the third largest subcommittee budget on the Appropriations Committee, John is committed to providing our military and veterans with the very best care and resources while eliminating inefficient programs.

In 2011, John was also selected to be the Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee. John believes the lawlessness on the border requires immediate action, and in close cooperation with the Texas Border Sheriffs’ Coalition, he continues to secure federal funding for the sheriffs to enforce existing law and provide the necessary support for our Border Patrol agents.

In addition to his leadership roles on two Subcommittees, John also serves on the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, where he’s a tireless advocate for law enforcement and NASA.



http://culberson.house.gov/biography/

-----------------

How is it this guy " never saw evidence of abuse of our privacy because Congress was lied to just as the public has been lied to"?

Maybe he's on the up and up, I don't know. I just know how apathetic Boobus get's after the storm starts to recede.

[Origanalist]

Speaking to reporters Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the White House has no comment regarding NSA leaker Edward Snowden due to an ongoing investigation into the matter.

"I think the President's record on transparency is broad and significant," (snicker, snort)Carney said. "I cannot comment."


Carney also said that all members of Congress had been briefed on the expansive surveillance NSA has been using to view the phone and email records of hundreds of millions of Americans. Many members of Congress, including Democrats and Republicans, have refuted that point.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/06/10/white-house-on-nsa-leaker-no-comment-n1616930

He said-she said. Maybe they're all liars? If this guy attempts to do as he says he will he'll get my support, but you will have to excuse me for being a bit skeptical.

[phill4paul]

I think it commendable to step up to the plate and admit a mistake. Twice so that he is fired up to make corrective actions to repair that mistake. Time will tell how sincere he is about it. At least it is good to have his statements on record.

[Carlybee]

Well blow me down. I sent him an email when it was up for renewal and told him I would not vote for him if he voted for it. I wish I had kept it..as I recall it was a lengthy one to which the response was..blah blah national security blah blah.

[georgiaboy]

FANTASTIC NEWS.

Every single Member of Congress should write the same letter to their constituencies. Let freedom ring.

[69360]

I hope he is embraced, this isn't the time to be on your high horses.

[Cap]

The proof is in the pudding. He seems genuine and it did take integrity to admit his transgression against the republic. We should now incorporate a list of the mea culpas and use the resources we have to either make or break those on "our" list. If they wish, they can repent and through their actions, be welcomed into the fold of the Liberty movement. If it all turns out to be bullshit, they need to be made aware that Lady Liberty is pissed and hell hath no fury than a Lady scorned.

[mad cow]

That is an amazingly great letter.

[tsai3904]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

[noneedtoaggress]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

lol

[Spoa]

Somebody wasn't sincere in their apology (Culberson):

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll412.xml

[mad cow]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

Well,it was a nice 45 days or so. :(

[JK/SEA]

Somebody wasn't sincere in their apology (Culberson):

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll412.xml

Kinda like a drunk driver killing a family of 4.

I'm sorry. Please let me go.

30 days later, does it again...

politicians are gonna politic.....

[Sola_Fide]

How exactly does one "dismantle" something by merely altering it's mission?

Exactly. He seems confused, or maybe he is trying to confuse people.

[Snew]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.
b-b-but he seemed sincere!

:rolleyes:

[heavenlyboy34]

Kinda like a drunk driver killing a family of 4.

I'm sorry. Please let me go.

30 days later, does it again...

politicians are gonna politic.....
But, but...we're the government! This is impossible! Collins says so! ;)

[Brett85]

My former rep Huelskamp voted for the Patriot Act but then has voted the right way on virtually every civil liberties vote since then, such as the Smith-Amash amendment to the NDAA, CISPA, this vote, and several others I believe. I have to wonder whether he regrets his vote for the Patriot Act as well.

[Michigan11]

If this really starts to take hold, and really starts to make headway, I think you'll see the mask completely fall off. TPTB will throw off any last pretenses as to why all these things have been implemented.

I would love to see it happen too, if we as a nation could scrap the patriot act peacefully, I'd start to actually be optimistic about our future.

You are right on man. The closer we get we'll know, because the mask will begin being taken off, as it already has, with the nsa disclosures from Snowden and the prior whistleblower. The closer we get the more they are disclosing to us, which I find as no coinsidence.

In another year we may find out that they have 10% of the population spying on the other 90% at their doorstep. That wouldn't surprise me.

[Occam's Banana]

The proof is in the pudding. He seems genuine [...]

Actually, the saying goes, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" (which means "not in the seeming").

IOW: It's what people actually DO that ultimately matters.

And making air molecules vibrate in certain ways by flapping your gums does NOT count as DOING ...


.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

Now, THAT is "in the eating" - Culberson's pudding is rancid and rotten ...

[KurtBoyer25L]

I don't even know who the first Republican congressman was, but it's amazing that he's lived this long!!
;)

[tod evans]

Politicians........Trust 'em as far as you can drop-kick an anvil..

http://lessonstobelearned462.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/anvil1.jpg

[tsai3904]

Rep. Culberson doubles down and writes this:


Why the Amash Amendment Wouldn’t Have Protected You

The Amash Amendment to the defense appropriations bill took the wrong approach to an issue of national importance. I carefully read the full text of both amendments before the vote and I voted for the Pompeo Amendment because, unlike the flawed Amash Amendment, it will actually protect the content of American citizens’ phone calls. The amendment I voted for will prevent the NSA from listening to phone calls without a court order and it will protect all American citizens from being targeted by the NSA. You can see the text of both amendments here: http://culberson.house.gov/protecting-your-right-to-privacy/.

The Amash Amendment was essentially a light switch—it turned the money either fully on or fully off and did nothing to fix a flawed but vital program. The Amash Amendment would have taken us back to September 10, 2001 and made us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. That would have been unacceptable.

More:
http://culberson.house.gov/why-the-amash-amendment-wouldnt-have-protected-you/

[Carlybee]

Is there anyone who can primary this guy?

[GunnyFreedom]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

You can thank The Heritage Foundation for that - they argue the Amash Amendment as unconstitutional, claiming it makes Congress dictate to the Judiciary.

[GunnyFreedom]

Rep. Culberson doubles down and writes this:



More:
http://culberson.house.gov/why-the-amash-amendment-wouldnt-have-protected-you/

Right out of the Heritage argument

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/07/amash-amendment-to-the-department-of-defense-authorization-bill?ac=1

[Carlybee]

How can we fight the Heritage Foundation?

[compromise]

I would have thought DeMint would have supported the Amash amendment if he were still in the House. I'm surprised he doesn't.

[mad cow]

Right out of the Heritage argument

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/07/amash-amendment-to-the-department-of-defense-authorization-bill?ac=1

From the link:

As a matter of policy, the amendment is a blunt instrument that summarily terminates a program that the federal government, under two very different Administrations, has thought vital

How many administrations thought a policy vital trumps the Constitution?

Well,now that I think about it and the last hundred years,yes it does.

Never mind,how silly of me.

[Carlybee]

Yes jackasses...we WANT it terminated.

[enhanced_deficit]

Tis a start.

[bunklocoempire]

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y442/bunklocoempirehi/godfatherFrankiePentangeli_zpsb4a1012d.jpg

[Anti Federalist]

.....and he voted against the Amash Amendment.

And we put this down right here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaysTVcounI

Just jump to 3:30

[Anti Federalist]

The Amash Amendment would have taken us back to September 10, 2001 and made us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. That would have been unacceptable. - Some doubletalking Congressdouche

Bathtub falls and police officers kill more Americans than terrorism, yet we've been asked to sacrifice our most sacred rights for fear of falling victim to it. - Edward Snowden