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Paul to take blame if Patriot Act fight goes over cliff
Greg Nash
By Julian Hattem - 05/31/15 01:32 PM EDT
Virtually all sides are ready to blame Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) if the Senate doesn’t renew provisions of the Patriot Act before they expire at midnight.
Paul’s Saturday pledge to “force the expiration” of the laws practically ensured that they would lapse this weekend, despite a rare Sunday evening session to try and make one last stab at saving them.
Some civil libertarians and Paul’s army of backers would surely cherish his decision to stand strong.
But Paul’s opponents in the race for the White House as well GOP leaders and the Obama administration seem equally ready to lay the blame at his feet, and accuse him of putting his political motivations above the best interests of the nation.
“Unfortunately, I think that there’s been a little bit too much political grandstanding and crusading for ideological causes that have rally skewed the debate,” CIA Director John Brennan said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning. “These tools are important to American lives.”
President Obama made similar remarks in his weekly address, accusing some lawmakers of “trying to use this debate to score political points.”
Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) on Sunday piled on, accusing Paul of “simply putting Americans at risk for political reasons.”
“I think he’s wrong,” he added on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/243564-paul-to-take-blame-if-patriot-act-fight-goes-over-cliff
NSA Domestic Surveillance Program 'Likely' to Expire Tonight, Former Counterterrorism Official Says
Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act -- the controversial law that allows the NSA to collect Americans' phone records and secretly track suspected terrorists – will likely expire tonight, a former White House counterterrorism official told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week."
"What I think will likely happen tonight is the law will expire," Richard Clarke said Sunday morning. "And then later in the week, the USA Freedom Act, which is essentially the same as the PATRIOT Act with the exception of the telephony metadata program, that act will pass and most of the authorities will be restored."
Though the White House says even a temporary lapse in the NSA's authority could affect national security, Clarke says it's unlikely to endanger Americans.http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nsa-domestic-surveillance-program-expire-tonight-counterterrorism-official/story?id=31429802
CIA director: Terrorists watching Patriot Act debate closely
CIA Director John Brennan applauds at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the formation for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, at its headquarters on April 24, 2015 in McClean, Va. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)
Terrorists with the intentions of attacking the U.S. are closely watching the congressional debate over the Patriot Act — and hoping to find ways to strike in doing so, according to CIA Director John Brennan.
"I think terrorist elements have watched very carefully what has happened here in the United States," Brennan said on CBS Sunday. "Whether or not it's disclosures of classified information, or whether it's changes in the law and policies, they're looking for the seams to operate within. This is something that we can't afford to deal with right now, because if you look at the horrific terrorist attacks and violence that's being perpetrated around the globe, we need to keep our country safe."
Brennan's comments echo those by other officials from the Obama administration, who are pushing for Congress to renew three key provisions of the Patriot Act that expire on June 1.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/cia-director-terrorists-watching-patriot-act-debate-closely/article/2565324?custom_click=rss
The Guardian-57 minutes ago
Senator Rand Paul is an avowed opponent of government surveillance. ... campaign is still ferociously fundraising over the NSA debate in the Senate.
Senate showdown looms over Patriot Act provisions' sunset
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