Not only did the Mike Johnson-led GOP House approve the renewal of the controversial section 2 of the FISA Act, but they added to its powers. The renewal is part of the overall National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The compromise bill has already been approved by both the House and Senate, meaning only Biden’s signature prevents Section 702 from being renewed, with powers expanded.
Excerpt:
It extended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until mid-April. The vote was 310-118.
Section 702 of FISA became official in 2008. Do you know what it contains? A provision that it should “be conducted in a manner consistent with the fourth amendment.”
Except it allows too much wiggle room that allows warrantless surveillance of Americans in America. (By the way, the Constitution applies to citizens no matter where the citizen is in the world.)
Nobody should be okay with this. Here’s a great summary (emphasis mine):
Although the law requires the government to direct this surveillance at people outside the United States, in practice, it routinely ensnares Americans. Section 702 allows the government to target any foreigner abroad for warrantless surveillance to obtain “foreign intelligence information.” The government’s targets need not have any connection to criminal activity or terrorism; they can be journalists, human rights workers, or businesspeople communicating about the “foreign affairs” of the United States. In the course of this surveillance, the government vacuums up—without a warrant—the communications of countless Americans who have texted, called, messaged, or emailed any one of hundreds of thousands of foreign targets.
1 thought on “Johnson-Led House Approves Section 702 Renewal”
Comments are closed.