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It would also help with things like the 'Patriot Act.' That bill was passed when the country was in a state of mindless panic, yet it lingers today. The governm
by xyzzyz 9y ago
It would also help with things like the 'Patriot Act.' That bill was passed when the country was in a state of mindless panic, yet it lingers today. The government doesn't want to get rid of it since it massively expands their power, but at the same time - if they actually had to vote on it again, it would be extremely difficult to justify.
Is this some kind of sarcasm I'm not getting? PATRIOT Act in fact had expiring provisions, and government in fact did vote to extend it, three times actually.
- TangoTrotFox 9y agoI'm unclear on the specifics of the patriot act, and I think that's to be expected. The reason is that whatever provisions may or may not expire are then wrapped up in enormous new bills which expand some, modify others, and generally make everything absolutely incomprehensible while being packed up in a new goofy name like the 'Freedom Act.' The whole thing helps to obfuscate things beyond belief as opposed to having a simple yes/no vote on maintaining or scrapping a bill.
- mobilefriendly 9y agoCorrect, this was a HUGE fight at the time, House Majority Leader Dick Armey fought his own party to include the expiring provision, and if memory serves some parts of the Patriot Act were not renewed.