Sen. Rand Paul plans to introduce eight privacy-focused amendments to a government surveillance reform bill now under consideration in the Senate, but it’s a long shot they’ll ever be debated.
Paul, R-Ky., who is running for president, is staunchly opposed to extending the law and said the reform legislation aimed at bolstering privacy rights that is now under consideration in the Senate does not go far enough to protect citizens from government overreach.
Paul’s proposed amendments to the USA Freedom Act include a provision that would require the government to establish probable cause before they can obtain an individual’s data records, and language that would ban the government from requiring companies to alter electronic devices or weaken encryption in order to enable government spying.
Another amendment would require the telecommunications companies holding the data to first inform customers before providing their data to the federal government.
While Paul’s amendments might win support from some Senate lawmakers, a Paul aide acknowledged it is “extremely unlikely” they will be considered.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is allowing only three amendments, and all of them take the bill in the opposite direction of Paul’s provisions. One amendment would extend a transition period for ending the government’s bulk data collection from six month to a full year. Another McConnell provision would require the telecommunications companies to notify the government if they change their data retention policy.
In order for Paul to win consideration of any of his own amendments, it will require agreement from all 100 senators, including McConnell and other pro-surveillance senators who are frustrated with Paul and unwilling to make further reforms they believe will weaken the law’s ability help prevent terrorist attacks.
The Senate is expected to pass the bill in some form later this week, after it missed the June 1 expiration date for some key surveillance authorities.
