tsai3904
07-26-2013, 09:58 AM
The Amash amendment failed, but civil libertarians won on Wednesday
by Julie Borowski
Wednesday’s vote on NSA funding was a big victory for civil liberties.
That may sound like an odd statement since the Amash amendment to stop all funding for the NSA’s warrantless spying programs ultimately failed. Yet in politics, success shouldn’t be determined solely by the final outcome of legislation. There are several reasons why civil libertarians should be encouraged by the debate over the Amash amendment — and the vote count. We just need to examine the big picture.
The fight to restore the Fourth Amendment is winning on multiple fronts. First, the majority of Americans are now outraged that the NSA is infringing on our privacy rights. According to a McClatchy-Marist poll, 56 percent of Americans believe that the government has gone too far in its collection of personal data. Judging by public opinion polls and social media activism, it is probably safe to say that most Americans support efforts to defund NSA spying programs.
It may just be a matter of time before Congress votes to rein in the NSA’s surveillance activities. Washington tends to lag behind public opinion. It takes Congress a while to catch up to the rest of the nation. That’s why it is so important for grassroots activists to contact their representatives and put pressure on them to vote the right way.
More:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/26/the-amash-amendment-failed-but-civil-libertarians-won-on-wednesday/
by Julie Borowski
Wednesday’s vote on NSA funding was a big victory for civil liberties.
That may sound like an odd statement since the Amash amendment to stop all funding for the NSA’s warrantless spying programs ultimately failed. Yet in politics, success shouldn’t be determined solely by the final outcome of legislation. There are several reasons why civil libertarians should be encouraged by the debate over the Amash amendment — and the vote count. We just need to examine the big picture.
The fight to restore the Fourth Amendment is winning on multiple fronts. First, the majority of Americans are now outraged that the NSA is infringing on our privacy rights. According to a McClatchy-Marist poll, 56 percent of Americans believe that the government has gone too far in its collection of personal data. Judging by public opinion polls and social media activism, it is probably safe to say that most Americans support efforts to defund NSA spying programs.
It may just be a matter of time before Congress votes to rein in the NSA’s surveillance activities. Washington tends to lag behind public opinion. It takes Congress a while to catch up to the rest of the nation. That’s why it is so important for grassroots activists to contact their representatives and put pressure on them to vote the right way.
More:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/26/the-amash-amendment-failed-but-civil-libertarians-won-on-wednesday/