With President Donald Trump returning to the White House and the final rollout of federal real identity requirements that come into effect in May, many of Washington’s biggest privacy advocates are largely silent.
Privacy-conscious lawmakers on either side of the aisle have, among other measures, exploded the Patriot Act for years, but few have issued warnings about the looming implementation of the Trump administration’s real identity law.
Some Privacy Hawk lawmakers who are silent with their real IDs were not the case when another extension of the national security surveillance device occurred, when the Patriot Act of 2001 – was only a few days away from the actual ID implementation.
Edward Markey, D-Mass. , D-Mass. , D-Mass. and Jeff Merkley (D-Merkley) was in Congress when the Patriot Act was ultimately successful in the 2010s, when the 2020 bill amended and reapproved the Foreign Intelligence Reports and Surveillance Act (FISA) courts relating to the related invoice.
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The actual ID will be enacted soon. (Getty)
“Congress has an obligation to protect the privacy of Americans, but the US Re-Acceptance of Freedom Act fails to properly limit the type of information governments can collect about Americans and fails to properly limit the information they collect about us.”
“I don’t want to give American civil liberties a presidential surveillance tool that poses such high risk,” he said.
In 2011, Merckley was one of eight senators who voted to prevent Patriot Act updates from coming to the floor for debate, according to Oregon Live.
His Beaver State colleague Wyden ultimately voted to allow discussion, but said it would potentially need to be reconsidered on the Senate floor during such discourse.
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“The Patriot Act was passed 10 years ago during a period of terror that could be understood,” Wyden said at the time.
“Now is the time to revisit this… and I guarantee that better work will be done by striking a balance between fighting fear and protecting individual freedom.”
At the time, Merkley expressed concern about the Patriot Act’s ability to allow law enforcement to collect many types of personal data, such as email and phone records.
To obtain an actual ID, the licensee must provide a Social Security number or other documents.
Although several factors, including Covid-19, actual ID implementation was delayed by 20 years, Merkley held a “protest vote” during the Patriot Act update, with the four-year extension after 9/11 being uncontroversial.
In 2005, Wyden also gave a floor speech to the Senate against the initial reaffirmation of the Patriot Act.
Markey did not respond to multiple requests for comments left in his Washington and Boston offices. Markley also did not respond to requests for comment.
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A representative from Wyden confirmed the Fox News Digital’s request for comment, but said the Oregonian traveled to the town hall, which is home to members of his hometown, and was unable to reach it immediately.
On his Senate webpage, Wyden provided an overview of all his comprehensive actions in favor of privacy.[ading] The fight to address the intelligence reporting community’s dependence on the secret interpretation of surveillance law. ”
“When Americans learn that the government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be unsettled and angry,” he said in 2011.
Wyden was also furious in 2013 when it was found that the NSA was secretly interpreting personal data of millions of Americans without a warrant.
In a statement to Fox News Digital regarding privacy concerns with real IDs, DHS Deputy Director Tricia Mclaughlin correctly states that actual IDs “will make forging identification and more difficult to stop criminals and terrorists.”
“81% of Air Force travelers [already] We will maintain a real ID compliant or acceptable ID,” McLaughlin said.
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“DHS will continue to work with state, local and airport authorities to notify the public, promote compliance, reduce wait times and prevent fraud.”
Fox News is R-Ky from Rand Pauls. , Bernie Sanders, I-Vt and others have reached out to comment on bipartisan series of lawmakers who have either been the party of the Provasive Bills in the past or have taken a privacy stance in the past.
Charles Kraitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers the media, politics and culture of Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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