Liberty is worth dying for, but Lamar Smith can’t even vote for it. This week he voted against basic fourth amendment freedoms and for a police state by refusing to cut NSA spying on innocent citizens. He sided with the Obama administration, and the Establishment to continue funding the NSA spying on citizens that are not even suspected of violating any law what so ever. We all seem to hate congress, but it is indeed difficult to admit that our guy is the problem.
It was truly a sight to see when Rep. Justin Amash, a Republican from Michigan, led the charge in the House yesterday to reclaim some of our precious liberties. Amash’s amendment would stop NSA “blanket surveillance” of American citizens. The language would place a limit on who the government can snoop on to those under investigation. It also places more judicial oversight over government surveillance, providing a layer of protection for both us, and our Constitution.
The vote to protect our civil liberties was very close (Congressman Lamar Smith of course voted NO), and there is plenty of chatter that Representative Amash may be able to pass his amendment in the near future. What is clear is that we must hold our elected officials accountable. As they return home for the August recess, it’s time to demand answers of our Congressmen and women. We should ask Congressmen Lamar Smith what exactly their plan is to protect our Constitutional rights, or if they plan to march in lockstep with the Obama Administration’s out-of-control domestic surveillance programs.
For Texas,
Matt McCall