From OMB Watch:
In a 16-10 party-line vote on Nov. 5, the House Committee on the Judiciary approved H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. The legislation contains several important reforms of controversial surveillance powers granted in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Republicans on the committee claimed that “the legislation would hinder [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Legislative Efforts category.
House Judiciary Committee Approves Strong PATRIOT Act Reform
House Committee Marks Up State Secrets Bill, Sends It to the Floor
From OMB Watch:
On Nov. 5, the House Judiciary Committee began markups on a bill that would codify standards for when and how the executive branch may apply the state secrets privilege in civil litigation. Although the Obama administration has promised certain limitations on its own use of the privilege, civil liberties and open government groups [...]
Two Battles Won: PATRIOT Reform AND State Secrets Reform Bills Pass House Committee
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
After a long two days of legislative battle, the House Judiciary Committee just finished its second day of debate on Chairman Conyers’ PATRIOT reform bill, HR 3845. . . the Committee rejected almost all amendments that would have weakened the bill’s reforms and voted to recommend the bill to the House [...]
House Judiciary Committee Passes PATRIOT Reauthorization Bill
From AALL’s Washington Blawg:
Yesterday, the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) was reported favorably out of the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 16-10. During the mark-up, the Committee adopted Chairman Conyers’ manager’s amendment that tightens the standards for issuing National Security Letters and adopts important new reporting, audit and oversight provisions. [...]
House bill supports public access to CRS reports
From The Gov Docs Guy blog:
A new House bill would open Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports to the public. The measure, H.R. 3762, closely mirrors a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) in the spring.
Dodd pens telecom immunity repeal
From The Hill:
A handful of Democratic senators are promoting legislation to repeal immunity for telecommunications firms that cooperated with the Bush administration’s warantless wiretapping program.
Congress voted last year to provide “retroactive immunity” to any companies participating in the controversial program. But with a more sizable majority, some Democrats are pushing to repeal that.
Sen. Chris Dodd [...]
Net neutrality gets a boost from leading Democrat
From cnet:
Net neutrality supporters got a boost Thursday when Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said he had added himself as a co-sponsor to the Net neutrality bill introduced by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
The House Energy & Commerce Committee oversees the Federal Communications Commission. Waxman said during a hearing for [...]
EFF Supports JUSTICE Bill to Reform the USA PATRIOT Act and Repeal Telecom Immunity
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
On December 31, three provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that broadly expanded government surveillance authority in the wake of 9/11 are set to expire. The Obama Administration made clear in a letter this week to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy that although the Justice Department supports reauthorization of those [...]
New Net Neutrality Bill Introduced
From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) has introduced H.R. 3458, The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a national broadband policy, safeguard consumer rights, spur investment and innovation, and for related purposes.
Senate Bill Would Disclose Intel Budget Request
From Secrecy News:
The Senate version of the FY2010 intelligence authorization bill (S. 1494) would require the President to disclose the aggregate amount requested for intelligence each year when the coming year’s budget request is submitted to Congress. Currently, only the total appropriation for the National Intelligence Program is disclosed — not the request — [...]