usa freedom senate opposition letter

May 20, 2015 RE: Vote no on USA Freedom Act, H.R. 2048 Dear Senators: We write to urge you to declare your intention to vote against the USA Freedom Act, H.R. 2048, should it come to the Senate floor for a vote in its current or a similar form. The Second Circuit court’s recent and far reaching decision declaring the NSA’s bulk collection of telephone metadata illegal fundamentally changes the political landscape for surveillance reform. Despite the good intentions of its authors, the USA Freedom Act won’t end mass surveillance, will undercut efforts for real reform, and may be interpreted by the Executive branch as authorizing activities the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has found unlawful. It would also eviscerate other court challenges to lawless surveillance and provide for legal immunization and compensation of companies that provide the government with customers’ private information, even where that company knows it is unlawful. The compromises struck to clear the way for passage of USA Freedom Act’s ostensible limits on mass surveillance are no longer attractive after the May 7, 2015, federal court decision declaring that Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act did not authorize the National Security Agency’s telephone metadata bulk collection and storage program. Progressives and all privacy advocates must leverage this major win in the federal courts and the impending expiration of Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act to create momentum for reining in the surveillance state in meaningful ways such as passing PoeMassieLofgren as well as building support for Rep. Mark Pocan’s Surveillance State Repeal Act. Passing the USA Freedom Act in its current form could unintentionally provide a legal basis for the reinstitution of bulk collection and has the potential to invalidate a major win for our reform efforts in the courts. From a political perspective, this court decision has shifted momentum in favor of reform, and we must pivot our strategy accordingly. Progress is dependent upon leading reform advocates declaring their opposition to the current version of USA Freedom and pulling the debate towards privacy and reform. We are, very sincerely yours, CREDO Daily Kos Demand Progress Democracy for America

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We write to urge you to declare your intention to vote against the USA Freedom Act, H.R. 2048, should it come to the Senate floor for a vote in its current or a similar form.

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May20,2015

RE:VotenoonUSAFreedomAct,H.R.2048DearSenators:WewritetourgeyoutodeclareyourintentiontovoteagainsttheUSAFreedomAct,H.R.2048,shoulditcometotheSenatefloorforavoteinitscurrentorasimilarform.TheSecondCircuitcourtsrecentandfarreachingdecisiondeclaringtheNSAsbulkcollectionoftelephonemetadataillegalfundamentallychangesthepoliticallandscapeforsurveillancereform.Despitethegoodintentionsofitsauthors,theUSAFreedomActwontendmasssurveillance,willundercuteffortsforrealreform,andmaybeinterpretedbytheExecutivebranchasauthorizingactivitiestheU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheSecondCircuithasfoundunlawful.Itwouldalsoeviscerateothercourtchallengestolawlesssurveillanceandprovideforlegalimmunizationandcompensationofcompaniesthatprovidethegovernmentwithcustomersprivateinformation,evenwherethatcompanyknowsitisunlawful.ThecompromisesstrucktoclearthewayforpassageofUSAFreedomActsostensiblelimitsonmasssurveillancearenolongerattractiveaftertheMay7,2015,federalcourtdecisiondeclaringthatSection215oftheUSAPATRIOTActdidnotauthorizetheNationalSecurityAgencystelephonemetadatabulkcollectionandstorageprogram.ProgressivesandallprivacyadvocatesmustleveragethismajorwininthefederalcourtsandtheimpendingexpirationofSection215ofthePATRIOTActtocreatemomentumforreininginthesurveillancestateinmeaningfulwayssuchaspassingPoeMassieLofgrenaswellasbuildingsupportforRep.MarkPocansSurveillanceStateRepealAct.PassingtheUSAFreedomActinitscurrentformcouldunintentionallyprovidealegalbasisforthereinstitutionofbulkcollectionandhasthepotentialtoinvalidateamajorwinforourreformeffortsinthecourts.Fromapoliticalperspective,thiscourtdecisionhasshiftedmomentuminfavorofreform,andwemustpivotourstrategyaccordingly.ProgressisdependentuponleadingreformadvocatesdeclaringtheiroppositiontothecurrentversionofUSAFreedomandpullingthedebatetowardsprivacyandreform.Weare,verysincerelyyours,CREDODailyKosDemandProgressDemocracyforAmerica
MoveOn.orgCivicActionProgressiveChangeCampaignCommittee