Autopen used to approve Patriot Act

President Obama recently signed a controversial bill. The bill renewed certain provisions of the Patriot Act which were going to end. The bill went to the president from Congress, though President Obama is currently visiting France. He signed the bill with an autopen, a mechanical machine which replicates signatures. The machine being used at all is causing a conflict.

Provisions allowing government surveillance renewed

Unless a new bill was created and passed by Congress and signed by the president, some Patriot Act provisions would have expired. Three provisions of the domestic security laws that allow for highly controversial surveillance procedures would have expired, according to the Christian Science Monitor, but President Obama finalized the bill at the last moment. Even though Senator Paul tried to rally against the bill, the government can still use the internet, business records and wiretaps without a warrant whenever they want. However, according to CNN, brouhaha in Congress has begun since the president used a robotic pen.

Working on the autopen

The signature was needed instantly on the document in the president was in France. He used an autopen to sign it. The autopen is a machine that could be used. A person’s signature could be reproduced with it. The main difference between an autopen and genuine signature is almost extremely hard to tell. Some of the machines are extremely complex. Some aren’t complex at all though, states MSNBC. Several websites are reproducing an interview with Bob Olding who’s the owner of one of the two companies that exists in the United States that makes the machines. ABC spoke with Damillic Corp., owner Olding who said the technology has not changed much since the 1930s when it came out. He also stresses that Damillic goes out of its way to properly vet its customers and make sure that his goods are getting used ethically.

Nothing illegal about it

The Constitution claims “he shall sign it” in reference to the president signing the bill. As long as a signature is directed to be attached to a document, it is valid, according to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department told President Bush that an auto signature was legal in 2005 when looking into using an autopen for this same purpose. Donald Rumsfeld was found to have used an autopen to sign letters of condolences to the families of troops killed in action in 2004, and previous Vice President Quayle admitted to using one in 1992. The signature and letter duplication machine was built in the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was responsible for this. Government officials, astronauts and business executives all have used autopens in the past.

Information from

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0527/Patriot-Act-three-controversial-provisions-that-Congress-voted-to-keep

CNN

whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/27/rise-of-the-machines-autopen-puts-bill-into-law/?hpt=T2

MSNBC

firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/27/6731197-the-great-presidential-autopen-hullabaloo

ABC

blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/robama-is-it-ok-for-a-president-to-autopen-a-bill-into-law.html

Damillic Inc

realsig.com/index.htm