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Originally Posted by theking
BTW...most of the "extraordinary" parts of the Patriot Act had "Sunset" clauses. Just recently the Sentate Judicial Committee held hearings on the Patriot Act and said "Sunset" clauses. I watched the entireity of the hearings on C-Span.
The head of the CIA...FBI...and the Attorney General were vigorously interrogated about the Patriot Act. I found all of them to be forth coming in their answers...including Attorney General Gonzales. I saw Attorney General Ashcroft when he was before the Senate Committees and he hedged his answers. Attorney General Gonzales did not.
It is immaterial...now...that the Patriot Act was ram-rodded through by the previous Congress...as it has now been fully veted before the current Congress.
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BTW...I do not know if any or all of the "Sunset" clauses were allowed to set and I am not sure if the Congress has even voted on it at this point...but what ever has been done or will be done...to repeat the Patriot Act has now been fully veted before the current Congress.
You also are not allowing for the fact that the Supreme Court ultimately decides what laws are constitutional and what laws are not. The Supreme Court has already ruled against the Justice Department in more than one instance of the appication of certain parts of the Patriot Act and or kicked it back down to a lower court. Attorney General Ashcroft was not pleased with the lower court decisions and the Sumpreme Court decision.
Point being...checks and balances are alive and well.