Congress Quietly Passed A Bill Allowing Warrantless Searches of Homes - Only 1% Opposed It

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: the keyboard of geoff goodfellow <geoff () iconia com>
> Date: August 26, 2017 at 5:38:27 PM EDT
> To: "E-mail Pamphleteer Dave Farber's Interesting People list" <ip () listbox com>
> Subject: Congress Quietly Passed A Bill Allowing Warrantless Searches of Homes - Only 1% Opposed It
>
> Congress Quietly Passed A Bill Allowing Warrantless Searches of Homes - Only 1% Opposed It
>
> By Rachel Blevins of The Free Thought Project
> A bill that will allow homes to be searched without a warrant was passed with overwhelming support by the United 
> States Congress, and signed into law by President Trump—and it happened with no media coverage and very little 
> fanfare.
>
> On the surface, House Joint Resolution 76 looks harmless. The title of the bill claims that its purpose is “Granting 
> the consent and approval of Congress for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of 
> Columbia to enter into a compact relating to the establishment of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.”
>
> “Whereas the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, an interstate compact agency of the District of 
> Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the State of Maryland, provides transportation services to millions of 
> people each year, the safety of whom is paramount; Whereas an effective and safe Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
> Authority system is essential to the commerce and prosperity of the National Capital region; Whereas the Tri-State 
> Oversight Committee, created by a memorandum of understanding amongst these 3 jurisdictions, has provided safety 
> oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.”
>
> The proposal for a safety commission to act as a wing of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority may sound 
> logical, when its power includes thing such as the ability to “Adopt, revise, and distribute a written State Safety 
> Oversight Program” and to “Review, approve, oversee, and enforce the adoption and implementation of WMATA’s Public 
> Transportation Agency Safety Plan.”
>
> However, there is one major red flag buried within the text of the bill that stems from the list of “powers” given to 
> the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, and it violates one of the basic tenets of the U.S. Constitution.
>
> “In performing its duties, the Commission, through its Board or designated employees or agents, may:Enter upon the 
> WMATA Rail System and, upon reasonable notice and a finding by the chief executive officer that a need exists, upon 
> any lands, waters, and premises adjacent to the WMATA Rail System, including, without limitation, property owned or 
> occupied by the federal government, for the purpose of making inspections, investigations, examinations, and testing 
> as the Commission may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this MSC Compact, and such entry shall not be 
> deemed a trespass.”
>
> The text gives the Commission the authority to enter property near the Metro Rail System “without limitation” and 
> without a warrant, for the purpose of “making inspections, investigations, examinations, and testing.”
>
> This clearly goes against the Fourth Amendment, which states that Americans’ rights “to be secure in their persons, 
> houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall 
> issue, but upon probable cause.”
>
> When the bill was brought to a vote in the House of Representatives, there were only five Congressmen who voted 
> against it: Representatives Justin Amash, a Republican from Michigan; Walter Jones, a Republican from North Carolina; 
> Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky; Alex Mooney, a Republican from West Virginia; and Mark Sanford, a 
> Republican from South Carolina.
>
> Amash called out the hypocrisy surrounding the fact that even though this legislation is in clear violation of the 
> Constitution, it was passed by Congress with overwhelming support. “Only 5 of us voted against bill allowing govt to 
> enter/search private property in parts of VA, MD & DC w/o warrant,” He wrote on Twitter.
>
> This is not the first time Congress has quietly passed a bill that will take away some of the most basic rights from 
> law-abiding citizens in the U.S., and it won’t be the last. One of the most important things to remember about this 
> legislation is that it was ignored by the media, and while it may only affect the Washington D.C. metro area now, it 
> could be laying the blueprint for future legislation across the country...
>
> http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-26/congress-quietly-passed-bill-allowing-warrantless-searches-homes-only-1-opposed-it
>
>
> -- 
> Geoff.Goodfellow () iconia com
> living as The Truth is True
> http://geoff.livejournal.com  
>
> This message was sent to the list address and trashed, but can be found online.



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