White House: Congress playing ‘national security Russian roulette’ in Patriot Act debate. What do you think?

2015-05-28T04:11:53-04:00

The Obama administration is warning that the FBI will lose legal tools critical to national security investigations at a time of heightened threats of terrorism if Congress fails to renew key USA Patriot Act provisions by midnight Sunday.

“What you’re doing essentially is you’re just playing national security Russian roulette,” a senior administration official said at a press briefing Wednesday. “That’s a game that you can play. But we urge Congress not to play that game with these uncontroversial authorities.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/congress-playing-national-security-russian-roulette-in-patriot-act-debate/2015/05/27/61262566-04c0-11e5-8bda-c7b4e9a8f7ac_story.html?tid=hpModule_f8335a3c-868c-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394&hpid=z12

White House: Congress playing ‘national security Russian roulette’ in Patriot Act debate

The loss of terrorism and spy tools would put national security at risk, the Obama administration argues.

Response by PO3 David Fries made May 28 at 2015 5:31 AM

2015-05-28T05:31:05-04:00

I am of two minds on the Patriot Act. I understand it's purpose, but the loss of liberties that it brought about undermine its usefulness, in my opinion. It was a knee jerk reaction to an atrocity.

Response by SGT David T. made May 28 at 2015 8:54 AM

2015-05-28T08:54:52-04:00

We should not live in fear nor take actions that compromise our ideals and freedoms in the name of some false sense of security. Section 215 specifically is violates the protections against unlawful search and seizure. Combine that with the fact that we have spent billions on these programs and prevented nothing the need to let those provisions lapse is even more pressing. I don't really care what we do overseas but on our own shores the Constitution applies at all times even in times of threat. The freedoms and liberties that are protected buy the Constitution make us who we are. If we violate that, then what are we?