House GOP Kill FISA Renew Legislation
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives failed to pass legislation renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
This provision allows federal agencies to conduct surveillance on noncitizens with the aim of gathering information related to national security. The bill was blocked by a group of 19 Republican lawmakers, who defied their party leadership. The final vote was 193 to 228, resulting in the defeat of the legislation.
The Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, a compromise bill between the House Judiciary Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was the subject of the vote. This bill aimed to address concerns about the abuse of surveillance powers, which were brought to light during the Trump presidency. The proposed legislation included measures to safeguard Americans’ data and make it a criminal offense to use loopholes to access their information.
Many conservative critics of Section 702 voiced their opposition to the bill, arguing that it does not do enough to protect Americans’ privacy. Calls to “KILL FISA” were made by former President Donald Trump, who has been vocal about the alleged misuse of this provision against himself and others. Trump took to his new social media platform, Truth Social, to express his opinion on the matter.
THE FISA BILL WAS KILLED (for now)
Here are the Patriots who voted No on unconstitutional spying on Americans:
1. Good
2. Luna
3. Norman
4. Burchett
5. Boebert
6. Gosar
7. Gaetz
8. Bishop
9. Cloud
10. Crane
11. Higgins
12. Roy
13. Rosendale
14. Mills
15. Mace
16.… https://t.co/L3f1RI9IDy— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) April 10, 2024
Originally, Section 702 was intended to allow the federal government to monitor the communication of foreign nationals suspected of having ties to terrorism. However, it has been frequently misused by various agencies. The use of this provision has drawn widespread criticism from privacy advocates, who fear that it could be used to target innocent Americans. This has resulted in a push for tighter regulations on the use of this surveillance tool.
One potential reason for the decline in support for Section 702 could be the decrease in the number of searches conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last year. According to a report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the number of warrantless searches of Americans’ communications dropped from millions to about 120,000 in 2022. This represents a significant decline of over 90 percent when compared to the previous year.
Privacy hawks in Congress, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, have opposed the renewal package championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson. They argue that the proposed legislation does not include an adequate number of safeguards to prevent future misuse of the provision. This has resulted in a stalemate, with lawmakers on both sides unable to reach a compromise that satisfies all parties involved.
If Congress fails to reach an agreement and pass legislation renewing Section 702 by the April 19 deadline, the provision is poised to sunset. This would mean that federal agencies would no longer have access to this surveillance tool, potentially leaving a gap in national security measures. It remains to be seen whether lawmakers will be able to overcome their differences and come to a resolution before the deadline.