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Senators introduce bill to repeal telecom wiretapping immunity
John Byrne
Raw Story
Tuesday, Sept 29th, 2009
Four Democratic senators have introduced a bill that would, if passed, repeal the legal immunity afforded the telecommunications industry for their participation in President George W. Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program.
Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced the measure Monday. In a release, they said the bill “eliminates retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that allegedly participated in President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program.”
The four senators, all liberal Democrats, emphasized that they believed granting the industry immunity violated the law and due process.
“I believe we best defend America when we also defend its founding principles,” Dodd said in the release. “We make our nation safer when we eliminate the false choice between liberty and security. But by granting retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies who may have participated in warrantless wiretapping of American citizens, the Congress violated the protection of our citizen’s privacy and due process right and we must not allow that to stand.”
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) hailed the measure as a return to the rule of law.
“Last year, I opposed legislation that stripped Americans of their right to seek accountability for the Bush administration’s decision to illegally wiretap American citizens without a warrant,” Leahy said. “Today, I am pleased to join Senator Dodd to introduce the Retroactive Immunity Repeal Act. We can strengthen national security while protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. Restoring Americans’ access to the courts is the first step toward bringing some measure of accountability for the Bush-Cheney administration’s decision to conduct warrantless surveillance in violation of our laws.”
Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold asserted that the telecom immunity provision, contained in a revision to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act (FISA), short-circuited the US legal system.
“Granting retroactive immunity to companies that went along with the illegal warrantless wiretapping program was unjustified and undermined the rule of law,” Feingold said in a statement. “Congress should not have short-circuited the courts’ constitutional role in assessing the legality of the program. This bill is about ensuring that the law is followed and providing accountability for the American people.”
“During the previous administration, telecommunications companies were granted retroactive immunity for violating the rights and privacy of millions of Americans,” Merkley, the fourth and newest Democratic senator in the group, said. “I am proud to join Senator Dodd and co-sponsor the Retroactive Immunity Repeal Act to help restore accountability and increase oversight to protect the privacy rights that have been central to our nation since its inception.”
The bill will face an uphill battle in the Senate. An amendment by Dodd and Feingold to strip telecom immunity from an earlier bill was defeated 67-31 in 2008.
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September 29th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
i’ll bet if this passes, Obama will just veto it. But then he won’t be able to veto H.R. 1207 if the senate has the stones to pass it. I really think this is all just theater and they will declare martial law before we can mount an effective attack constitutionally. Rifles at the ready patriots!
Steve Williams Reply:
September 29th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Civil war. What a mess. I was looking at pictures of the american Civil War of the 1860’s yesterday. Bodies lying all over everywhere in fields, contorted in various poses with rigor mortis.
Like I said, civil war, what a mess.
One might have to end up doing what one must do because no other option is left, but that doesn’t mean one has to like it.
And while everyone is busily slaughtering everyone else, remember that absolutely nothing must get in the way of nuclear power plants continuing to get coolant to their cores. According to this place, there are 104 of them in the US. (Holy crap! That many?)
http://www.euronuclear.org/inf.....d-wide.htm
The nuclear power plants and their personnel are off limits to everyone. Otherwise we’ll have 104 chernobyl meltdowns going on, making the USA a VERY deadly radioactive place to be. If everyone just absolutely insists on murdering each other, first take the cores apart so they can’t be going into meltdown if their cooling systems fail, and THEN start the bloodbath. Let’s do things in proper order.
truth911 Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 5:08 am
good thinking you should write a book and call it a proper blood bath
sandie Reply:
September 29th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
no worries, too late, they already have all that they need on us via nsa and echelon. skipeee deee here comes the nau and martial law and flying pig flu. awwwwww. hugs, sandie
jeremy Reply:
September 29th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Dont believe for a second that Chriss Dodd is suddenly caring about founding principals or the like. He doesnt care about America, its just a distraction, and to look good politically.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
so please remember his true name is YAHWEY and many were persecuted for it. the story is of the millenial theocratic reign of christ and the kingdom of god. see his holy days and plan for manking and it is awesome……………blessings to you one of the remnant
September 29th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
truther….why dont you go stab yourself with a crucifix???i hope the bill goes through. and they off obama at the same time..maybe they can clean up their own mess.f--- them and f--- you truther.go hang youeself on a cross false deciple
September 30th, 2009 at 3:10 am
These mandarins think they can just make stuff up!
The so called ‘immunity’ is not worth the paper it is written on.
There is no such thing as ‘retroactive law’ (an oxymoron)
These guys are Traitors!
John
September 30th, 2009 at 5:12 am
sold out bought off old bastards on criminal hill trying to make it look like they are doing something for there people and country. what a joke these old useless criminals have become
September 30th, 2009 at 5:33 am
I am waiting patiently. Everything that is going on in the world today has been foretold in the scriptures. Of course, if you do not know, nor understand the Word of God, you cannot affirm nor deny my statements.
But all of you that post on here confirm my statements. Just the term NWO confirms this, Revelation Chapter 13 and Daniel 7.
Look at Daniel 7:24
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
The U.S. must be subdued and brought under the United Nations. We are watching the fulfillment of the beast that rises out of the Sea as stated in Revelation 13.
The biggest lie throughout the whole world is the denial of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Bible. People do not read the scriptures, therefore they mock that which they do not know nor understand. It is written that only a remnant will remain in the endtimes. That is also being fulfilled. We live in the end times, we are that generation where all things will be fulfilled. It is also known as the generation of God’s wrath.
If you want to know your future, read the book of Joel, Isaiah, Amos, Daniel, the Gospels, (Jesus talked about the end times and judgement constantly), 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2 and many many other books in the Bible.
But it is also written, that the people of this generation repented not but waxed worse. That this generation will deny Christ, which is true. Christianity is being stamped out, especially through the United Nations. This country was the last stronghold for us, and that is quickly disappearing. All nations are rising against Israel, also foretold in the scriptures as an endtime prophecy, which is being fulfilled, with the US trying to tell Israel how to run their country.
Earthquakes, famines, droughts, pestilence, volcanoe’s, fish dying, wildlife dying, wildfires, floods, dust storms, typoons, hurricanes, ufo’s(fallen angels).. The times of sorrows, the first 5 seals broken.
Yes, I am patiently waiting. The sixth seal will be a wake up call like no other. Be prepared to meet your God. I don’t care if you want to deny it, He created all things. Jesus Christ.
But all the evil will dominate first. Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies your footstool. The earth is God’s footstool. So when the LORD God’s people are off this earth, one way or another, wrath will fall upon His enemies. Learn the truth, find your Creator.
We don’t have much time left and only Jesus can save us now.
No Weanie Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I’m with ya ljb……..we don’t have much time left….may God bless you……