The Patriot Act May Be Dead Forever [View all]

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Barring any last-minute compromises, powerful government surveillance authorities under the Patriot Act will expire at the stroke of midnight Monday. And they may never return.

This week, senators have been negotiating over whether to pass a House bill that would renew and tweak existing provisions in the long-controversial law, rather than let them “sunset” on June 1. But if the sunset comes and the provisions are off the books, lawmakers in both chambers would be facing a vote to reinstate controversial surveillance authorities, which is an entirely different political calculation.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s Senate session, Schiff said, “I don’t feel confident at all” that lawmakers will pass the Freedom Act.

And that may suit civil libertarians and privacy advocates just fine.

Geiger, with the Center for Democracy and Technology, said, “We hope that if the Senate fails to pass meaningful surveillance reform that it does lead to a sunset, and then meaningful reform of the Patriot Act.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/28/the-patriot-act-may-be-dead-for-good.html