Marsha Blackburn wants more surveillance on American Citizens and wishes to set up a Federalized Police State.

Electronic Surveillance.

The warrantless electronic surveillance bill (H.R. 5825) would allow electronic surveillance of
communications with suspected terrorists without first obtaining approval from the secret courts established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Furthermore, the bill would authorize unwarranted surveillance for up to 90 days in some instances if a threat was considered “imminent.” Intelligence agencies would be allowed to conduct warrantless surveillance for seven days prior to gaining court approval if the threat was considered an “emergency situation.” This controversial bill had full support of the Bush administration as a means to provide greater national security in a post-9/11 world. The House passed H.R. 5825 on September 28, 2006 by a vote of 232-191 (Roll Call 502). Such a law would violate the Fourth Amendment by subjecting U.S. citizens to unreasonable searches and seizures.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American - October 30, 2006)

COPS Funding.

This bill (H.R. 1700) would provide the annual funds for the Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program for fiscal 2008 through 2013. The bill would authorize $1.15 billion per fiscal year to aid in the hiring of law enforcement officers. The funding would include up to $600 million each year for “officers hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror or homeland security duties.” The House passed H.R. 1700 on May 15, 2007, by a vote of 381-34 (Roll Call 348). Providing federal aid to local law enforcement programs is not only unconstitutional, it also further federalizes the police system. The Senate passed a similar provision in March.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – July 23, 2007)


Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID).

During consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, Representative Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) offered an amendment to reallocate $150 million of the bill’s funding to provide grant money for assisting states in conforming to the REAL ID Act of 2005. The REAL ID Act requires all states to issue standardized driver’s licenses that would serve as national ID cards. It was supposed to go into effect three years after the enactment of the act, but because of resistance from the states, the deadline has been extended to 2010 for states that request an extension. Once enacted, a federal agency would not be allowed to accept for any official purpose a driver’s license or ID card issued by a state that fails to meet the act’s requirements. The House rejected the Bilbray amendment by a vote of 155-268 (Roll Call 479) on June 15,
2007. The act would effectively create a national ID card.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – December 10, 2007)

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance.

This bill (S. 1927) would allow warrantless electronic surveillance (eavesdropping) of targets outside the United States regardless of whether they are communicating with someone within the United States. This surveillance had been conducted illegally by the CIA. Under this legislation, communications companies would be required to comply with surveillance requests and would be provided lawsuit protections. The House passed S. 1927 by a vote of 227-183 (Roll Call 836) on August 4, 2007. Warrantless surveillance of American citizens is a violation of the Fourth Amendment provision against “unreasonable searches and seizures.” Although the bill includes a sunset provision causing it to expire after six months, President Bush has already called for making the bill permanent.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – December 10, 2007)


Thought Crimes.

This bill (H.R. 1955), known as the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007,” could more aptly be titled the “Thought Crimes Act.” The bill would establish a National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism and establish a grant program to prevent radicalization in the United States. However, critics charge that the bill is a thinly disguised attempt to criminalize dissent, based on the bill’s vague and open-ended language that could be used to trample basic rights to free speech and assembly, and turn legitimate dissent into thought crimes. For instance, the bill defines “violent radicalization” as “the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or
social change.” The bill does not define either “extremist belief system” or “facilitating ideologically based violence.” The bill also states that “the Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.” The House passed H.R. 1955 by
a vote of 404-6 (Roll Call 993) on October 23, 2007. The bill threatens legitimate dissent.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – December 10, 2007)


Warrantless Searches.

H.R. 6304, the bill to revamp the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), would allow warrantless electronic surveillance, including monitoring telephone conversations and e-mails, of foreign targets, including those communicating with American citizens in the United States. The final version of the bill would not explicitly grant immunity to telecommunications companies that have assisted President Bush’s warrantless surveillance program. But it would require courts to dismiss lawsuits against such companies if there is “substantial evidence” they were insured in writing the program was legal and authorized by the president. The provision would almost certainly result in the dismissal of the lawsuits. The House passed H.R. 6304 on June 20, 2008 by a vote of 293-129 (Roll Call 437). Warrantless searches are a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, and requires that any searches be conducted only upon issuance of a warrant under conditions of probable cause. Moreover, Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution forbids “ex post facto laws” — laws having a retroactive effect.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – October 27, 2008)


Employee Verification Program.

H.R. 6633 would reauthorize the EVerify (Internet-based) pilot employment eligibility verification program allowing employers to verify employment eligibility of new hires. The program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security, which would be required to provide funding to the Social Security Administration for checking Social Security numbers submitted by employers under the program. The House passed the bill on July 31, 2008 by a vote of 407-2 (Roll Call 557). Social Security numbers were not intended to be used and should not be used as the basis for a national ID database. An alternative measure (H.R. 5515) would have the screening for employment eligibility verification provided by stateadministered
private companies that already track employee verification for child-support enforcement.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – October 27, 2008)
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Body Imaging Screening.

During consideration of the Transportation Security Administration Authorization bill (H.R. 2200), Rep. Jason Chaffetz (RUtah) offered an amendment that would prohibit the use of Whole-Body Imaging (WBI) as the primary method of screening at airports. The amendment would allow passengers the option of a patdown search rather than being subjected to a WBI search that shows extremely intimate details of one’s body. The Chaffetz amendment would also prohibit TSA from storing, copying, or transferring any images that are produced by WBI machines. Since its creation, TSA has become infamous for its meddlesome searches and disregard for an individual’s right of privacy. Evidence shows that corruption and
mismanagement have been commonplace within the relatively new federal department for years. The Chaffetz amendment would do very little to scale back the power held by the TSA, but it does offer some hope that our representatives are not wholly unaware of how the TSA and its policies would threaten the privacy of American citizens through a process that has been called a “virtual strip-search.” The House adopted the Chaffetz amendment by a “Committee of the Whole” on June 4, 2009, by a vote of 310-118 (Roll Call 305). Such technology is obtrusive for American citizens and violates our right of protection against unwarranted searches and seizures.

Marsha Blackburn voted AGAINST this bill.
(Source: The New American – July 20, 2009)