Rand to Introduce 4th Amendment Restoration Act of 2013

[Matt Collins]

From a press release:

Sen. Paul to Introduce Fourth Amendment Restoration Act of 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul today announced he will introduce the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act of 2013, which ensures the Constitutional protections of the Fourth Amendment are not violated by any government entity.

“The revelation that the NSA has secretly seized the call records of millions of Americans, without probable cause, represents an outrageous abuse of power and a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. I have long argued that Congress must do more to restrict the Executive’s expansive law enforcement powers to seize private records of law-abiding Americans that are held by a third-party,” Sen. Paul said. “When the Senate rushed through a last-minute extension of the FISA Amendments Act late last year, I insisted on a vote on my amendment (SA 3436) to require stronger protections on business records and prohibiting the kind of data-mining this case has revealed. Just last month, I introduced S.1037, the Fourth Amendment Preservation and Protection Act, which would provide exactly the kind of protections that, if enacted, could have prevented these abuses and stopped these increasingly frequent violations of every American’s constitutional rights.

“The bill restores our Constitutional rights and declares that the Fourth Amendment shall not be construed to allow any agency of the United States government to search the phone records of Americans without a warrant based on probable cause.”

Click HERE to view the text of this legislation, which will be introduced when the Senate returns to session on Friday, June 7.

[Root]

More meaningless words on paper. We already "have" these protections, yet government already ignores it's own laws and bill of rights. What is going to prevent them from ignoring this law?

[angelatc]

More meaningless words on paper. We already "have" these protections, yet government already ignores it's own laws and bill of rights. What is going to prevent them from ignoring this law?

You are! You didn't get the memo?

[FSP-Rebel]

More meaningless words on paper. We already "have" these protections, yet government already ignores it's own laws and bill of rights. What is going to prevent them from ignoring this law?

W/o constant pressure from the people and proper politicians in Congress, the Constitution is either meaningless or powerless to prevent the erosion of individual rights. There is a revival happening in the grassroots to put backbone to these words on paper. If Rand stays a force to be reckoned with and new allies continually arrive at his side, then what he advocates becomes strengthened and liberty will rise again.

[Kotin]

the fact that you have to pass a law to reaffirm an amendment to the Constitution means neither matter to government.

[AJ Antimony]

the fact that you have to pass a law to reaffirm an amendment to the Constitution means neither matter to government.

Ok, well, egotistical commentary aside, do you support or oppose Sen. Paul's legislation?

[WhistlinDave]

It's sad that it's necessary, and I agree it shouldn't be, but the way the Constitution is ignored these days makes it necessary to clarify specific things, like taking millions of peoples' call records just because someone in the government feels like it in the name of "keeping us all safe."

[Kotin]

Ok, well, egotistical commentary aside, do you support or oppose Sen. Paul's legislation?

Do you support asinine legislation? I don't support it or oppose it.. Its useless.

[SilentBull]

Some people just don't get it. There is a point to doing this. Rand will be able to show in 2016 that some of his opponents voted against the 4th amendment.

[trey4sports]

it wont pass. 4th amendment is not popular enough.

[pacelli]

4th amendment was so last century.

How about nullifying all organizations, agencies, and bull$#@! created by the PATRIOT ACT?

[FrankRep]

Do you support asinine legislation? I don't support it or oppose it.. Its useless.

It's more of a political stunt to highlight the fact the 4th amendment is being violated.

I like it. Powerful statement.

[Kotin]

It's more of a political stunt to highlight the fact the 4th amendment is being violated.

I like it. Powerful statement.

but really only people who already know that will get that from it.. everyone else will respond, "huh?"

[Lucille]

it wont pass. 4th amendment is not popular enough.

It won't be the first time.

On February 7, by a vote of 303 to 121, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down the Fourth Amendment. Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.) had proposed attaching the text of the amendment--which guarantees against unreasonable searches and seizures--to pending crime legislation.

http://www.unz.org/Pub/Reason-1995may-00048

[compromise]

I think the roll call on this will be interesting. Hopefully McConnell will get Rand a vote on this legislation.

[afwjam]

Obviously crazy, we should just follow the 4th, alas most of the country thinks not the way we do.

Bravo Rand! Lets spread this around and get some attention for it! Long live the 4th!!!

[Occam's Banana]

Ok, well, egotistical commentary aside, do you support or oppose Sen. Paul's legislation?

Legislatively speaking? Neither. In that regard, it's pure fluffery. The 4th amendment is already supposed to be "the Supreme Law of the Land."

It clearly is not, however - and at present, passing a "restoration act" is not going to do anything to (directly) address or rectify the root causes of why that is the case.

Educatively speaking, though, I "support" this for the sake of whatever extent to which it brings greater awareness and consideration of those root causes.

But in terms of what the government actually does, I seriously doubt this Act will be of much (if any) use. Even if it passes, they'll just flout it or find a way around it.

The system as currently constituted (pun most definitely intended) ignores the 4th. Why should it be expected to pay any more attention to the "restoration" of the 4th? After all, statists gonna state ...