The “Drone Caucus” Sped Up Domestic Drone Use

[sabrina 1]

Believe it or not, yes, we do have a Drone Caucus. And no, Orwellian and paranoid as it may sound, it is NOT a CT.

It is a 60 member strong, bi-partisan Caucus whose main purpose appears to be to sell drones to law enforcement in this great democracy of ours.

Just follow the money to find out why we apparently need to spend so much on Drones and why we need a Congressional Drone Caucus in order to do the sales job. Or as they call it:

The Unmanned Systems Caucus

Chairmen of the Caucus are these two members of Congress:



Rep. Buck McKeon (R)



Rep. Henry Cueller (D)

To see who the members of the entire 60 member Drone Caucus are, just click the link above.

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/28/the_drone_caucus_sped_up_dometic_drone_use/|

The “drone caucus” sped up domestic drone use

The proliferation of drones in domestic law enforcement and beyond has been boosted on Capitol Hill by a 60-representative strong, bipartisan “drone caucus,” according to an investigative report by the Center for Responsive Politics and Hearst newspapers.

Pushing an agenda to hurry surveillance drones into the domestic market, even though many questions about the ethics and safety of their deployment remain unanswered, has earned members of the House Unmanned Systems Caucus $8 million in drone-related campaign contributions, the investigation revealed.

The report detailed how legislative efforts have ensured a speedy timeline for putting drones in the hands of local police departments as well as private corporations

And how safe are these Drones that will be flying around the friendly skies? Well, that has not yet been established according to the report referenced in the above article:

Drones: Despite Problems, A Push to Expand Domestic Use

WASHINGTON – Are unmanned aircraft, known to have difficulty avoiding collisions, safe to use in America’s crowded airspace? And would their widespread use for surveillance result in unconstitutional invasions of privacy?

Experts say neither question has been answered satisfactorily. Yet the federal government is rushing to open America’s skies to tens of thousands of the drones – pushed to do so by a law championed by manufacturers of the unmanned aircraft.

The drone makers have sought congressional help to speed their entry into a domestic market valued in the billions. The 60-member House of Representatives’ “drone caucus” _ officially, the House Unmanned Systems Caucus - has helped push that agenda. And over the last four years, caucus members have drawn nearly $8 million in drone-related campaign contributions, an investigation by Hearst Newspapers and the Center for Responsive Politics shows.

Isn't it amazing what good salespeople members of Congress can be when they want to be?

Is there any chance that We The People could get some of our issues addressed, such as the destruction of Civil Liberties, as fast as the Drone Manufacturer eg?

Didn't someone say in another thread that this was all just a huge, big Conspiracy Theory and 'doesn't belong on this site'?

If only that were true, but I can't blame anyone for thinking so, as who would have thought that Congress would form a Caucus for the sole purpose purpose of selling spying equipment domestically?

It definitely pays to have friends in Congress.



Since 2005, the federal government has awarded at least $12 billion in contracts for drones and drone supplies and maintenance.

[link:http://www.businessinsider.com/government-domestic-drone-fleet-2012-11#ixzz2Gf5qMkkS|Homeland Security Wants To Double Its Domestic Drone Fleet

]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to more than double its fleet of Predator drones for surveillance missions inside the United States, Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reports.
The DHS recently signed a contract with General Atomics —worth as much as $443 million — to purchase up to 14 Predator drones, which would add to its current fleet of 10 if Congress appropriates the funds.

I can think of much better uses for those millions of dollars considering we are being that we have no money and must 'reduce spending' in order to reduce the Deficit.

[green for victory]

1. not much

interest in this story.

That's a shame, because there's no going back. Drones everafter. No one would care if a (R)ethug was doing it? Won't know because it's a done deal. We've been bipartisaned again. A Democratic administration mandated citizens to buy corporate insurance with no alternative, and now they're filling our skies with drones.

http://costofwar.com

[sabrina 1]

3. And that's the way they want it, the public remaining ignorant of what they

are up to. So it's really up to us to keep spreading the word about where the money they say we don't have is going.

And I intend to keep doing that because the only way to stop these abuses is to have an informed population. Just doing my part.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Will the MIC deliver the payoffs to the politicians in the traditional brown paper bags?

Or, dress them up in the more sophisticated "campaign contributions" attire?

[sabrina 1]

6. Looks like they dressed it up in the campaign contributions attire. Millions

of dollars went to the members of this Drone Caucus.

Yesterday we were told here on DU that this was all a CT. Lol, a multi-million dollar CT it looks like, with 60 real live members of Congress wasting more money on Big Corps that we are told constantly we do not have.

And our brilliant leaders just can't find places to cut spending other than from the poor, the disabled and the elderly.

[spanone]

4. i wonder where there political donations come from?

we need to end the fucking lobbying system in our politics. worse government money can buy.

[sabrina 1]

5. According to the links in the OP, this is how the Drone Caucus members

benefited from doing the work of the Drone Manufacturers:

And over the last four years, caucus members have drawn nearly $8 million in drone-related campaign contributions, an investigation by Hearst Newspapers and the Center for Responsive Politics shows.

Money in politics, it is destroying this democracy.

I just read eg, that the TSA is quietly removing the Naked Scanners from major airports after wasting more millions of dollars putting them there despite the huge outcry from the public. I guess they've made their money and now do not want to risk any more lawsuits over radiation. But was this big news on the Corporate Media, was there any in depth discussion of how this happened, how we spent all that money despite warnings of the failure of such machines, not to mention the issues of civil liberties? No, of course not. They took the money, and ran. And Congress will simply close its eyes.

Same thing here, with Congress' blessing, General Atomics, just like Rapiscan, will make out like bandits, before they simply drop it AFTER it becomes clear to the general public that this was a super bad idea in the first place. What a scam it all is.