Watch for Satellite Spying Cosponsorships
One of the most important stories from Congress this week probably won’t be covered in the newspapers, so you’ll have to watch for it over at the Library of Congress web site. It has to do with two bills introduced late last week by California U.S. Representative Jane Harman.
The bills, H.R 2703 and H.R. 2704, have to do with a government spying program striking in its scope, yet unknown to most of the American public: The National Applications Office. The NAO has the mission of coordinating information gathered through government satellites.
In some instances, that’s an extremely non-controversial mission. When it involves satellite images of forest fires or hurricanes, there isn’t much to worry about. When military spy satellites are turned back toward the USA, to watch the movements of people within our nation’s borders, without any search warrant, and the information is shared with federal, state and local law enforcement, then there’s problems. There are problems with the Posse Comitatus law that forbids the military from getting involved in domestic law enforcement. There are problems with the Fourth Amendment, which promises protection from unreasonable search and seizure, and guarantees a warrant for any search.
The National Applications Office has been designed to coordinate just such spying activities, against the American people. The idea behind the NAO was hatched right after the Protect America Act was passed in 2007, when Michael McConnell announced that military spy satellites would be used against Americans. Its mission was strengthened by the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 as well, but many of its powers reach back to the Patriot Act as well. The combination of warrantless spying and seizure of information with electronic databases of all sorts of activities here on the ground makes for a Big Brother bigger than George Orwell could have imagined.
Given her committee positions in the House of Representatives, Jane Harman has been briefed about the scope of National Applications Office, and she believes there is great cause for concern for America’s liberty. H.R. 2703 and H.R. 2704 would, if passed, defund and shut down the National Applications Office. As of this morning, only one cosponsor is listed for H.R. 2703, and none for H.R. 2704. So, this is the story to watch: Will there be more cosponsors for these bills this week, or will Congress let the NAO come into full operations without protest?
[...] National Applications Office coordinates the sharing of information gathered through satellites. In some instances, that’s not a big deal. Sharing information about the movement of hurricanes is useful, and [...]
[...] week ago, I advised readers to watch for cosponsorship of Jane Harman’s bills to shut down the National Applications Office. It turns out that there hasn’t been that much to watch: Not one single member of the House [...]