Patriot Act 2.0 Just Passed the House. Spoiler Alert: It’s to Spy on You

Beware the word security. Whenever you hear a politician or media pundit tell you something is “for your security” you can be sure it’s to steal your liberty.

What just happened is surefire evidence of that. While you've been focused on daily life, looking after your family, going to work, etc. the Deep State has been chugging along, grinding up the U.S. Constitution in its steely jaws.

Our House of Representatives—led by America Last Speaker of the House Mike “thanks for nothing” Johnson and his faithless cronies just voted for the most pervasive surveillance powers in American history.

So much for the (slim) conservative majority.

If ever there was a doubt, it’s now more than clear there is no political opposition. It’s all show. Or to quote the late great George Carlin: “It all a big club. And you ain’t in it.”

Under the guise of national security, our so-called leaders voted overwhelmingly to renew the nation’s warrantless surveillance capabilities provided by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), specifically targeting Section 702. Senator Ron Wyden (D) did not mince words when he called it "one of the most dramatic and terrifying expansions of government surveillance authority in history."

He's right.

Now, as this Orwellian bill creeps towards the Senate, it threatens to cement FISA Section 702's vast surveillance powers for an additional two years. But here's the real sinister part—this law could forcibly enlist virtually any American as a government informant, with or without their consent.

The bill amendments are alarmingly expansive. By dropping the requirement that only “communication” service providers are eligible for FISA directives, now any entity with access to communication devices could be dragged into this surveillance dragnet. And please don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because they have these powers, they won’t use them.

Of course, they will.

Moreover, by sneakily including "custodians" of communication equipment as potential informants, it implicates an even wider circle of regular citizens. Folks like you and me. Thanks to Trojan Horse Mike Johnson and his cadre of political turncoats we have this situation: landlords who own business complexes, operators of coworking spaces—even your hotel’s front desk clerk could all be forced by law to participate in this surveillance nightmare.

Don’t be fooled by Johnson’s frowning through Biden’s recent State of the Union address. He’s no different from our 46^th president. Both serve power, not the people. And despite what he and the rest of the rubberstamping members of Congress claim, minor exclusions listed in the amendment—like restaurants and public accommodations—do little to mitigate the bill's vast overreach.

Put another way, 23 years after 9/11, America is becoming less and less recognizable. Elizabeth Goitein from the Brennan Center for Justice said as much, declaring on a X thread that we are witnessing the largest swell in domestic surveillance since the Patriot Act. The expansion is so broad that not only telecom giants but also everyday businesses, from your local barber shops to neighborhood gyms, could be soon coerced into serving the NSA's sprawling spy network.

Welcome to 2024 where everyone is a spy. And here's the kicker: All those spies couldn’t tell you about their spying duties even if they wanted to—thanks to the ever-so-reassuring gag orders that legally silence them.

Should this bill pass the Senate, you will soon be able to enjoy your espresso under the watchful eye of state surveillance. Even your own living room could become a mini-NSA outpost.

Returning to the Senate, I cannot emphasize how urgent it is for us to act. Our elected leaders work for us—not the other way around. The White House might push for a quick decision, citing an April 19th deadline for the expiration of these powers. However, Senator Wyden—a democratic, no less—and many civil liberties advocates argue there's more to this deadline than meets the eye. Surveillance can continue under extensions already granted by the FISA Court.

No matter what the pundits will tell you, this isn't just about security. It's about the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. The potential for abuse under such expansive surveillance powers is not a far distant threat anymore—it's a plan being executed—a clear and present danger to us all.

The War on Terror has clearly come home. Now, regular American are in its crosshairs. But our line of defense must include more than just awareness. We must call our Senators and demand they oppose this. If not for yourself, do it for your children and their children’s children.

As our nation stands on the precarious edge of tyranny, let us not be the generation that allowed fear to steal our freedoms. Let us not abandon our nation. Contact your Senator. Oppose the FISA reauthorization and firmly reject the transformation of America into a surveillance state like China or Venezuela.

Act now before it’s too late.