Dropping the "F-Word": Ron Wyden, Rand Paul Threaten to Filibuster Government Surveillance Bill

Published: 11 Jan, 2018

1 min read

The US House passed a long-term extension to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Wednesday. In immediate response, US Sens. Ron Wyden and Rand Paul threatened to filibuster.

https://twitter.com/ivn/status/951501093430738944

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/951495411981803520

Section 702 of FISA authorizes the federal government to conduct foreign surveillance on US soil. Privacy advocates say the language of the bill is so broad that surveillance agencies can "intentionally and inherently" sweep Americans' communications, raising a serious constitutional issue.

For years, Section 702 has been renewed with little debate or review by policymakers, something Rand Paul has taken exception too. He said in December that he would filibuster any long-term FISA extension that was pushed through without debate or proper legislative procedure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4pfwTHb7lY

Looks like Rand Paul and Ron Wyden are back on the filibuster. This time, on government surveillance authority.

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York

The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....

30 Oct, 2025

1 min read

Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'

The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....

30 Oct, 2025

3 min read

5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering

Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....

31 Oct, 2025

4 min read

Dropping the "F-Word": Ron Wyden, Rand Paul Threaten to Filibuster Government Surveillance Bill

You Might Also Like