Obama signs extension of Patriot Act/Majority think Federal Government poses a threat to their rights

~AP News

President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the nation’s main counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act.

Provisions in the measure would have expired on Sunday without Obama’s signature Saturday.

The act, which was adopted in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, expands the government’s ability to monitor Americans in the name of national security.

Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will:

_Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.

_Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.

_Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

Obama’s signature comes after the House voted 315 to 97 Thursday to extend the measure.

The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government’s authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

Representatives With The Courage To Vote NO

Neil Abercrombie – Tammy Baldwin – Roscoe Bartlett – Xavier Becerra – Howard Berman – Rob Bishop – Earl Blumenauer – John Boccieri – Bruce Braley – Mike Capuano – Jason Chaffetz – Judy Chu – Yvette Clarke – Emanuel Cleaver – Cohen – Jerry Costello – Joe Crowley – Elijah Cummings – Pete DeFazio – John Dingell – Lloyd Doggett – John Duncan – Donna Edwards – Vern Ehlers – Ellison – Eliot Engel – Sam Farr – Bob Filner – Barney Frank – Marcia Fudge – Al Green – Raul Grijalva – Phil Hare – Jane Harman – Alcee Hastings – Dean Heller – Maurice Hinchey – Mazie Hirono – Rush Holt – Mike Honda – Hank Johnson – Tim Johnson – Walter Jones – Steve Kagen – Dennis Kucinich – John Larson – Barbara Lee – John Lewis – Dave Loebsack – Ben Luján – Dan Maffei – Carolyn Maloney – Ed Markey – Doris Matsui – Betsy McCollum – McDermott – James McGovern – Gregory Meeks – Michael Michaud – George Miller – Walt Minnick – Gwen Moore – Jerrold Nadler – Richard Neal – Jim Oberstar – John Olver – Frank Pallone – Ed Pastor – Ron Paul – Don Payne – Tom Perriello – Chellie Pingree – Jared Polis – David Price – Laura Richardson – Tim Ryan – Linda Sánchez – Loretta Sanchez – John Sarbanes – Jan Schakowsky – Robert Scott – Jose Serrano – Carol Shea-Porter – Brad Sherman – Jackie Speier – Mike Thompson – John Tierney – Ed Towns – Nydia Velázquez – Peter Visclosky – Maxine Waters – Mel Watt – Henry Waxman – Peter Welch – Lynn Woolsey – David Wu – Don Young

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By Paul Steinhauser~CNN

A majority of Americans think the federal government poses a threat to rights of Americans, according to a new national poll.

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government’s become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Independents and nearly 7 in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.

According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken – though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what’s broken can be fixed.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted February 12-15, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey’s sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall survey.