Libertarian Party calls for restoring the Fourth Amendment

For Immediate Release Monday, August 19, 2013

Democratic and Republican Votes Abuse Your Fourth Amendment Rights

The Libertarian Party on Restoring the Fourth Amendment
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Thanks to the brave and patriotic actions of whistleblower Edward Snowden, Americans now know that their Fourth Amendment rights have been blown out of the water; that the government has been routinely spying on millions of Americans.

Your telephone calls, emails, text messages, chat sessions, and Skype sessions are no longer private. The National Security Agency — the NSA — has put virtually every American under surveillance. You’re being watched, listened to, and tracked just about everywhere.

And it’s not just the NSA that is invading your privacy. Cameras, mounted on toll booths and in cities across America, enable government officials to know where you are and where you’ve been. Authorities can break into your home with a no-knock “sneak and peak” court order from a secret judge. The IRS and other government regulators can access your bank records without your knowledge or consent. And the government has authorized thousands of agents to look at your personal medical records. If Obamacare ever goes into effect, it will get even worse.

There aren’t too many places in America today where you can act or speak in complete privacy. Luckily, there’s one place in America where you’re not being watched. Where you’re free to do as you please without Big Brother eavesdropping on you. Where you can’t be punished for your actions. Where is this? The voting booth. The place where you can choose the president, U.S. senators, congressmen and women, and state and local officials.

In the privacy of the voting booth, you can cast your vote for the politicians who do right or the politicians who do wrong. The voting booth, where you can toss out of office every politician who voted for the Patriot Act, NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act), CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act), or FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). The voting booth, where you have the power to shut down the NSA and end government surveillance of innocent Americans.

The unpatriotic and treasonous government spying going on today is not the function of a few officials abusing their power. The problem is not the abuse of power. The problem is the power to abuse. Take away the power, and no abuse is possible.

We can investigate the abuses of a few NSA officials, put them on trial, maybe even convict some of them. We can call for “reform,” or more “transparency.” We can call for kinder, gentler secret courts. But will that change anything?

As long as the Patriot Act, NDAA, and FISA remain on the books; as long as there are secret courts, and as long as the federal government spends $75 billion — every year — on 17 separate spy agencies, do you really believe they’re going to stop spying on Americans? If all we do is make a few minor reforms, how many more years will it take before another brave whistleblower steps forward to reveal that surveillance programs remain in full force?

Passing a law that violates your Fourth Amendment rights is — in and of itself — an abuse. There are no “abuses” of the NDAA — the NDAA is an abuse. There are no abuses of the Patriot Act — the Patriot Act is an abuse. Voting for the Patriot Act or NDAA is an abuse. Leaving them on the books is an abuse.

Every politician who voted for the Patriot Act, NDAA, CISPA, or FISA violated your Fourth Amendment rights, violated his or her oath of office to uphold the Constitution, and created the inevitable consequence of the massive surveillance programs we’re seeing today.

There’s one and only one way to stop this abuse: Repeal every law that violates your Fourth Amendment right to privacy. Dismantle, unplug, and end all unneeded spy agencies and secret courts.

How do we remove these laws and agencies? By refusing to vote for any politician who voted for them — or who in any way signals that they would vote to keep them on the books — and by voting for the candidates who expressly promise to repeal them.

When you vote for a candidate who votes for these laws, you’re sanctioning, condoning, and empowering the government to spy on innocent Americans. You’re giving politicians license to abuse.

Almost every Democrat and Republican in the U.S. House or Senate today has voted for FISA, the Patriot Act, or the NDAA. Despite tough talk of “reforming” laws or “investigating” abuses, they vote to keep abusive laws in place. They are the masters of abuse of the Fourth Amendment. Every vote they get drives one more nail into the coffin of your right to privacy and justice under the law.

Since the Libertarian Party was formed 42 years ago, it has been the only political party in America that has called for immediate, unconditional repeal of the laws that violate your Fourth Amendment rights. Libertarian candidates and the Libertarian platform have called for ending all electronic surveillance, ending all warrantless searches, and repealing the Patriot Act, NDAA, and FISA.

So take advantage of that sanctuary of your privacy where bugs don’t bug and drones don’t fly: the voting booth. Where you get to decide who and what should stay or go.

Cast your vote for the Fourth Amendment. Vote only for candidates who expressly promise to repeal the laws which abuse your Fourth Amendment rights.

Stand your ground. Vote for freedom and justice.

Vote Libertarian.

95 out of 100 Sitting Senators Have Supported Surveillance

Senate Republican Offenders:

Sen. Lamar Alexander
Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Sen. John Barrasso
Sen. Roy Blunt
Sen. John Boozman
Sen. Scott Brown
Sen. Richard Burr
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Dan Coats
Sen. Tom Coburn
Sen. Thad Cochran
Sen. Susan Collins
Sen. Bob Corker
Sen. John Cornyn
Sen. Mike Crapo
Sen. Mike Enzi
Sen. Jeff Flake
Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Chuck Grassley
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Sen. Dean Heller
Sen. John Hoeven
Sen. James Inhofe
Sen. Johnny Isakson
Sen. Mike Johanns
Sen. Ron Johnson
Sen. Mark Kirk
Sen. John McCain
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Jerry Moran
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Sen. Rob Portman
Sen. James Risch
Sen. Pat Roberts
Sen. Marco Rubio
Sen. Tim Scott
Sen. Jeff Sessions
Sen. Richard Shelby
Sen. John Thune
Sen. Pat Toomey
Sen. David Vitter
Sen. Roger Wicker

Senate Independent Offenders:

Sen. Angus King Jr.
Sen. Bernard Sanders

Senate Democratic Offenders:

Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. Mark Begich
Sen. Michael Bennet
Sen. Richa
rd Blumenthal
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Maria Cantwell
Sen. Ben Cardin
Sen. Tom Carper
Sen. Robert Casey
Sen. Chris Coons
Sen. Joe Donnelly
Sen. Dick Durbin
Sen. Diane Feinstein
Sen. Al Franken
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Sen. Kay Hagan
Sen. Tom Harkin
Sen. Martin Heinrich
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp
Sen. Mazie Hirono
Sen. Tim Johnson
Sen. Tim Kaine
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Sen. Carl Levin
Sen. Joe Manchin III
Sen. Edward Markey
Sen. Claire McCaskill
Sen. Robert Menendez
Sen. Jeff Merkley
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Sen. Christopher Murphy
Sen. Patty Murray
Sen. Bill Nelson
Sen. Mark Pryor
Sen. Jack Reed
Sen. Harry Reid
Sen. John Rockefeller IV
Sen. Charles Schumer
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Sen. Jon Tester
Sen. Mark Udall
Sen. Tom Udall
Sen. Mark Warner
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Sen. Ron Wyden

421 out of 435 Sitting Congressmen
Have Supported Surveillance

House Republican Offenders:

Rep. Robert Aderholt
Rep. Rodney Alexander
Rep. Mark Amodei
Rep. Michele Bachmann
Rep. Spencer Bachus
Rep. Louis Barletta
Rep. Garland Barr
Rep. Joe Barton
Rep. Dan Benishek
Rep. Kerry Bentivolio
Rep. Jaime Beutler
Rep. Gus Bilirakis
Rep. Rob Bishop
Rep. Diane Black
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
Rep. John Boehner
Rep. Josiah Bonner Jr.
Rep. Charles Boustany Jr.
Rep. Kevin Brady
Rep. James Bridenstine
Rep. Morris Brooks
Rep. Susan Brooks
Rep. Paul Broun
Rep. Vern Buchanan
Rep. Larry Bucshon
Rep. Michael Burgess
Rep. Ken Calvert
Rep. David Camp
Rep. John Campbell III
Rep. Eric Cantor
Rep. Shelley Capito
Rep. John Carter
Rep. William Cassidy
Rep. Steven Chabot
Rep. Jason Chaffetz
Rep. John Coble
Rep. Michael Coffman
Rep. Tom Cole
Rep. Chris Collins
Rep. Douglas Collins
Rep. K. Michael Conaway
Rep. Paul Cook
Rep. Tom Cotton
Rep. Kevin Cramer
Rep. Rick Crawford
Rep. Ander Crenshaw
Rep. John Culberson
Rep. Steve Daines
Rep. Rodney Davis
Rep. Jeffrey Denham
Rep. Charles Dent
Rep. Ron DeSantis
Rep. Scott DesJarlais
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
Rep. Sean Duffy
Rep. Jeffrey Duncan
Rep. John Duncan Jr.
Rep. Renee Ellmers
Rep. Blake Farenthold
Rep. Stephen Fincher
Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick
Rep. Charles Fleischmann
Rep. John Fleming Jr.
Rep. Bill Flores
Rep. James Forbes
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Rep. Trent Franks
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rep. Cory Gardner
Rep. Scott Garrett
Rep. Jim Gerlach
Rep. Bob Gibbs
Rep. Christopher Gibson
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. Louie Gohmert
Rep. Robert Goodlatte
Rep. Paul Gosar
Rep. Trey Gowdy
Rep. Kay Granger
Rep. John Graves Jr.
Rep. Samuel Graves
Rep. Tim Griffin
Rep. H. Morgan Griffith
Rep. Michael Grimm
Rep. Steven Guthrie
Rep. Ralph Hall
Rep. Richard Hanna
Rep. Gregg Harper
Rep. Andrew Harris
Rep. Vicky Hartzler
Rep. Richard Hastings
Rep. Joseph Heck Jr.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling
Rep. George Holding
Rep. Richard Hudson
Rep. Timothy Huelskamp
Rep. Bill Huizenga
Rep. Randall Hultgren
Rep. Duncan Hunter
Rep. Robert Hurt
Rep. Darrell Issa
Rep. Lynn Jenkins
Rep. Bill Johnson
Rep. Samuel Johnson
Rep. Walter Jones Jr.
Rep. James Jordan
Rep. David Joyce
Rep. Mike Kelly
Rep. Peter King
Rep. Steve King
Rep. Jack Kingston
Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Rep. John Kline
Rep. Raul Labrador
Rep. Doug LaMalfa
Rep. Douglas Lamborn
Rep. Leonard Lance
Rep. James Lankford
Rep. Thomas Latham
Rep. Robert Latta
Rep. Frank LoBiondo
Rep. Billy Long
Rep. Frank Lucas
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer
Rep. Cynthia Lummis
Rep. Kenny Marchant
Rep. Thomas Marino
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
Rep. Michael McCaul
Rep. Thomas McClintock II
Rep. Patrick McHenry
Rep. Howard McKeon
Rep. David McKinley
Rep. Mark Meadows
Rep. Patrick Meehan
Rep. Luke Messer
Rep. John Mica
Rep. Candice Miller
Rep. Gary Miller
Rep. Jefferson Miller
Rep. Markwayne Mullin
Rep. Michael Mulvaney
Rep. Timothy Murphy
Rep. Randy Neugebauer
Rep. Kristi Noem
Rep. Richard Nugent
Rep. Devin Nunes
Rep. Patrick Nunnelee
Rep. Pete Olson
Rep. Steven Palazzo
Rep. Erik Paulsen
Rep. Stevan Pearce
Rep. Scott Perry
Rep. Thomas Petri
Rep. Robert Pittenger
Rep. Joseph Pitts
Rep. Ted Poe
Rep. Mike Pompeo
Rep. Bill Posey
Rep. Thomas Price
Rep. Trey Radel
Rep. Thomas Reed II
Rep. David Reichert
Rep. James Renacci
Rep. Reid Ribble
Rep. Tom Rice
Rep. E. Scott Rigell
Rep. Martha Roby
Rep. Cathy Rodgers
Rep. David Roe
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Michael Rogers
Rep. Mike Rogers
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
Rep. Todd Rokita
Rep. Thomas Rooney
Rep. Peter Roskam
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Rep. Dennis Ross
Rep. Keith Rothfus
Rep. Edward Royce
Rep. Jon Runyan
Rep. Paul Ryan
Rep. Matthew Salmon
Rep. Marshall Sanford Jr.
Rep. Stephen Scalise
Rep. Aaron Schock
Rep. David Schweikert
Rep. James Scott
Rep. Frank Sensenbrenner Jr.
Rep. Peter Sessions
Rep. John Shimkus
Rep. Bill Shuster
Rep. Michael Simpson
Rep. Adrian Smith
Rep. Christopher Smith
Rep. Jason Smith
Rep. Lamar Smith
Rep. William Southerland
Rep. Chris Stewart
Rep. Steve Stivers
Rep. Steve Stockman
Rep. Marlin Stutzman
Rep. Lee Terry
Rep. Glenn Thompson Jr.
Rep. William Thornberry
Rep. Patrick Tiberi
Rep. Scott Tipton
Rep. Michael Turner
Rep. Frederick Upton
Rep. David Valadao
Rep. Ann Wagner
Rep. Timothy Walberg
Rep. Greg Walden
Rep. Jackie Walorski
Rep. Randy Weber
Rep. Daniel Webster
Rep. Brad Wenstrup
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland
Rep. Edward Whitfield
Rep. Roger Williams
Rep. Addison Wilson Sr.
Rep. Robert Wittman
Rep. Frank Rudolph Wolf
Rep. Stephen Womack
Rep. Rob Woodall
Rep. Kevin Yoder
Rep. Theodore Yoho
Rep. Charles Young
Rep. Donald Young
Rep. Todd Young

House Democratic Offenders:

Rep. Robert Andrews
Rep. Ron Barber
Rep. John Barrow
Rep. Joyce Beatty
Rep. Xavier Becerra
Rep. Ami Bera
Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr.
Rep. Timothy Bishop
Rep. Earl Blumenauer
Rep. Robert
Brady
Rep. Bruce Braley
Rep. Corrine Brown
Rep. Julia Brownley
Rep. Cheri Bustos
Rep. George Butterfield Jr.
Rep. Lois Capps
Rep. Michael Capuano
Rep. Tony Cardenas
Rep. John Carney Jr.
Rep. Andre Carson
Rep. Kathy Castor
Rep. Joaquin Castro
Rep. Judy Chu
Rep. David Cicilline
Rep. Yvette Clarke
Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II
Rep. James Clyburn
Rep. Stephen Cohen
Rep. Gerald Connolly
Rep. John Conyers
Rep. Jim Cooper
Rep. Jim Costa
Rep. Joseph Courtney
Rep. Joseph Crowley
Rep. Henry Cuellar
Rep. Elijah Cummings
Rep. Danny Davis
Rep. Susan Davis
Rep. Peter DeFazio
Rep. Diana DeGette
Rep. John Delaney
Rep. Rosa DeLauro
Rep. Suzan DelBene
Rep. Theodore Deutch
Rep. John Dingell
Rep. Lloyd Doggett
Rep. Michael Doyle
Rep. Tammy Duckworth
Rep. Donna Edwards
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Eliot Engel
Rep. William Enyart
Rep. Anna Eshoo
Rep. Elizabeth Esty
Rep. Samuel Farr
Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr.
Rep. Bill Foster
Rep. Lois Frankel
Rep. Marcia Fudge
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Rep. Pete Gallego
Rep. John Garamendi
Rep. Joe Garcia
Rep. Alan Grayson
Rep. Al Green
Rep. Raymond Green
Rep. Raul Grijalva
Rep. Michelle Grisham
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
Rep. Alcee Hastings Sr.
Rep. Denny Heck
Rep. Brian Higgins
Rep. James Himes
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa
Rep. Rush Holt Jr.
Rep. Michael Honda
Rep. Steven Horsford
Rep. Steny Hoyer
Rep. Steve Israel
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
Rep. Eddie Johnson
Rep. Henry Johnson Jr.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. William Keating
Rep. Robin Kelly
Rep. Derek Kilmer
Rep. Ronald Kind
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
Rep. Ann Kuster
Rep. James Langevin
Rep. Richard Larsen
Rep. John Larson
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. Sheila Lee
Rep. Sander Levin
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. Daniel Lipinski
Rep. David Loebsack
Rep. Zoe Lofgren
Rep. Nita Lowey
Rep. Ben Lujan Jr.
Rep. Stephen Lynch
Rep. Daniel Maffei
Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Rep. Sean Maloney
Rep. Edward Markey
Rep. James Matheson
Rep. Doris Matsui
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy
Rep. Betty McCollum
Rep. James McDermott
Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Douglas McIntyre
Rep. Gloria McLeod
Rep. Gerald McNerney
Rep. Gregory Meeks
Rep. Grace Meng
Rep. Michael Michaud
Rep. George Miller III
Rep. Gwendolynne Moore
Rep. James Moran Jr.
Rep. Patrick Murphy
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Rep. Graciela Napolitano
Rep. Richard Neal
Rep. Beto O’Rourke
Rep. William Owens
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.
Rep. William Pascrell Jr.
Rep. Edward Pastor
Rep. Donald Payne Jr.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Rep. Ed Perlmutter
Rep. Gary Peters
Rep. Scott Peters
Rep. Collin Peterson
Rep. Rochelle Pingree
Rep. Jared Polis
Rep. David Price
Rep. Mike Quigley
Rep. Nick Rahall II
Rep. Charles Rangel
Rep. Cedric Richmond
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
Rep. Raul Ruiz
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Rep. Bobby Rush
Rep. Timothy Ryan
Rep. Linda Sanchez
Rep. Loretta Sanchez
Rep. John Sarbanes
Rep. Janice Schakowsky
Rep. Adam Schiff
Rep. Brad Schneider
Rep. Kurt Schrader
Rep. Debbie Schultz
Rep. Allyson Schwartz
Rep. David Scott
Rep. Robert Scott
Rep. Jose Serrano
Rep. Terri Sewell
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
Rep. Brad Sherman
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema
Rep. Albio Sires
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Adam Smith
Rep. Karen Speier
Rep. Eric Swalwell
Rep. Bennie Thompson
Rep. Michael Thompson
Rep. John Tierney
Rep. Alice Titus
Rep. Paul Tonko
Rep. Nicola Tsongas
Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr.
Rep. Juan Vargas
Rep. Marc Veasey
Rep. Filemon Vela
Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Rep. Peter Visclosky
Rep. Timothy Walz
Rep. Maxine Waters
Rep. Melvin Watt
Rep. Henry Waxman
Rep. Peter Welch
Rep. John Yarmuth