Domestic Drone Use Slips Through Congress With Little Lobbying Opposition
The military contractors have much to gain from proliferation of drones in US airspace
The big push in Congress to open up domestic airspace in the U.S. to unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, is developing with hardly any lobbying opposition, despite potentially dire consequences for civil liberties.
Congress quietly authorized the domestic use of drones this past winter, which the government says can be used for everything from law enforcement, first responders, and environmental monitoring. Drones have typically been used to kill people in Pakistan, Yemen, and beyond, and their domestic use could present problems for privacy and other civil liberties concerns.
But opposition to the bill was negligible. The American Civil Liberties Union was the only organization to really lobby against the push for domestic drones, spending $500,000 during the first quarter, which partially went towards fighting this bill.
Harold
ACGR's "News with Attitude" 