Today, U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) introduced the “American Privacy Restoration Act.” The legislation, if enacted, would fully repeal the USA PATRIOT Act, commonly referred to as simply the “Patriot Act,” a sweeping post-9/11 law long criticized for enabling an unprecedented expansion of government surveillance.
“For over two decades, rogue actors within our U.S. intelligence agencies have used the Patriot Act to create the most sophisticated, unaccountable surveillance apparatus in the Western world,” said Congresswoman Luna. “My legislation will strip the deep state of these tools and protect every American’s fourth amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. It’s past time to rein in our intelligence agencies and restore the right to privacy. Anyone trying to convince you otherwise is using ‘security’ as an excuse to erode your freedom.”
The USA PATRIOT Act, passed just over a month after the September 11 attacks, granted federal agencies broad authority to collect personal data, conduct surveillance, and detain individuals with limited judicial oversight. Since being enacted, there have been numerous whistleblower reports of rampant abuse of Patriot Act powers by U.S. intelligence agencies.
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