Is the Freedom act even relevant at the moment? Since a district court ruled that the bulk collection is already illegal under the current law and Rand Paul and Ron Wyden are threatening to filibuster the renewal of the expiring Patriot Act, it seems that civil rights hawks currently have the upper hand, or at least an advantageous bargaining position. Why pass another law that could be skewed to give the intelligence agencies more loopholes?
The court ruled it was illegal but did not order the end of the program and instead said it was the job of congress to either let section 215 expire or knowingly renew the program.
