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The Washington Post has an article discussing the proposed USA Freedom Act. The "act" is not yet an act, it is just a bill pending before before Congress, a measure that would put an end to the NSA’s bulk collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
The article poses a hopeful scenario under which this bill might actually be passed by Congress, or run the risk of allowing the Patriot Act in total, to sunset by itself on June 1.
But there’s a decent chance there will be 60 votes there to pass the U.S.A. Freedom Act in the end. That’s because it’s hard to imagine that there are enough votes in the Senate to pass clean re-authorization to keep bulk surveillance going. Very few Democrats will support that. And libertarian-leaning GOP Senators who are running for president are adamantly opposed to clean re-authorization: Ted Cruz supports the U.S.A. Freedom Act, and Rand Paul may want to go further.
The article makes the case that a large enough contingent of the Senate will realize this, and jump to supporting the banning of mass surveillance, in exchange for reauthorizing some of the other (less controversial) sections of the Patriot act which they feel are more important.
A companion version of the bill has been introduced in the House, where there is already a left-right alliance against bulk surveillance. A good showing in the House might help get this passed in the Senate.
The article seems to think even President Obama would sign the act into law if passed by both houses, especially if hopeful democratic candidates put the screws to him.
The USA Freedom act may appear to be a "Hail Mary" by a few members of Congress. But circumstance and timing may may conspire to make it possible.
So it might be worth an email to your congress-critters for our U.S. Soylentils.
[Update: Removed link to incorrect version of the USA Freedom Act. According to http://judiciary.house.gov/index.cfm/usa-freedom-act, (H.R. 2048, the USA Freedom Act) "On April 30, 2015, the House Judiciary Committee approved by a vote of 25-2 the USA Freedom Act."]
(Score: 2) by Alfred on Thursday April 30 2015, @07:05PM
Whether or not you pass a law banning it or not, it will still be there. You are not in a position to know if it actually went away or to enforce its demise.
You are a banana trying to bite the gorilla in the room.