Under Cover of Covid, Govt. Pushes Sweeping Surveillance Bill

FEATURING SANDRA FULTON – The Republican dominated Senate on Monday voted to extend a number of federal surveillance programs for 77 days – programs that had expired on Sunday. Rather than vote on a bill that would alter the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and extend the 2015 USA Freedom Act, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chose a blanket 77-day extension of existing programs.

Nearly 20 years ago in the wake of the September 11^th 2001 attacks, Congress overwhelmingly passed the USA Patriot Act, enacting broad surveillance powers over Americans. Now, with the Covid-19 pandemic spreading around the world, will lawmakers once more push through sweeping surveillance powers while we remain distracted by the slow-moving disaster?

Sandra Fulton, Government Relations Director with the Free Press Action Fund.