A new letter to congressional leaders from 24 groups urges lawmakers to weigh extension of expired FISA authorities into traditional legislation as opposed to a Continuing Resolution or a coronavirus emergency bill. (Image EFF Photos/flickr/cc)
Sep 14, 2020
Two dozen advocacy groups--citing their "deep concerns regarding the possible dragnet surveillance of domestic internet activity"--sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday demanding lawmakers reject in upcoming must-pass budget legislation the reauthorization of controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities.
The letter (pdf)--signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Demand Progress, Freedom of the Press Foundation, the NAACP, and others--singles out "the lone wolf, roving wiretap, and business records authorities" of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Recent events, the groups wrote, have only amplified concerns.
\u201cIt has been more than 6 months since key #FISA provisions failed to secure Congressional reauthorization. Recent events show that concerns about these programs are still warranted based on the continued failure of agencies to comply with existing protections. 1/3\u201d— Due Process Institute (@Due Process Institute) 1600102401
The letter references as one example a federal court ruling earlier this month that the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records was illegal. Adding to concerns is Attorney General William Barr and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's failure to respond to questions from Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) about whether the executive branch is "secretly relying on its alleged inherent power to continue" surveillance operations without congressional oversight, which the senators said would amount to "programmatic Fourth Amendment violations at tremendous scale."
What's more, says the letter, "government witnesses... have refused to substantively answer similar questions from Representative Lofgren, Senator Wyden, and Ranking Member Feinstein."
According to the groups, "Any extension of these expired FISA authorities is controversial and more appropriately considered under traditional authorizing legislation, not a Continuing Resolution, a Covid emergency bill, or any other comparable legislative vehicle."
The demands come as the House returns from recess, and with "bipartisan Covid-19 relief negotiations on ice," as Roll Collreported Monday, "congressional leaders have turned their attention to crafting a continuing resolution to keep the government open before the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Two dozen advocacy groups--citing their "deep concerns regarding the possible dragnet surveillance of domestic internet activity"--sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday demanding lawmakers reject in upcoming must-pass budget legislation the reauthorization of controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities.
The letter (pdf)--signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Demand Progress, Freedom of the Press Foundation, the NAACP, and others--singles out "the lone wolf, roving wiretap, and business records authorities" of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Recent events, the groups wrote, have only amplified concerns.
\u201cIt has been more than 6 months since key #FISA provisions failed to secure Congressional reauthorization. Recent events show that concerns about these programs are still warranted based on the continued failure of agencies to comply with existing protections. 1/3\u201d— Due Process Institute (@Due Process Institute) 1600102401
The letter references as one example a federal court ruling earlier this month that the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records was illegal. Adding to concerns is Attorney General William Barr and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's failure to respond to questions from Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) about whether the executive branch is "secretly relying on its alleged inherent power to continue" surveillance operations without congressional oversight, which the senators said would amount to "programmatic Fourth Amendment violations at tremendous scale."
What's more, says the letter, "government witnesses... have refused to substantively answer similar questions from Representative Lofgren, Senator Wyden, and Ranking Member Feinstein."
According to the groups, "Any extension of these expired FISA authorities is controversial and more appropriately considered under traditional authorizing legislation, not a Continuing Resolution, a Covid emergency bill, or any other comparable legislative vehicle."
The demands come as the House returns from recess, and with "bipartisan Covid-19 relief negotiations on ice," as Roll Collreported Monday, "congressional leaders have turned their attention to crafting a continuing resolution to keep the government open before the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1."
Two dozen advocacy groups--citing their "deep concerns regarding the possible dragnet surveillance of domestic internet activity"--sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday demanding lawmakers reject in upcoming must-pass budget legislation the reauthorization of controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities.
The letter (pdf)--signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Demand Progress, Freedom of the Press Foundation, the NAACP, and others--singles out "the lone wolf, roving wiretap, and business records authorities" of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Recent events, the groups wrote, have only amplified concerns.
\u201cIt has been more than 6 months since key #FISA provisions failed to secure Congressional reauthorization. Recent events show that concerns about these programs are still warranted based on the continued failure of agencies to comply with existing protections. 1/3\u201d— Due Process Institute (@Due Process Institute) 1600102401
The letter references as one example a federal court ruling earlier this month that the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records was illegal. Adding to concerns is Attorney General William Barr and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's failure to respond to questions from Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) about whether the executive branch is "secretly relying on its alleged inherent power to continue" surveillance operations without congressional oversight, which the senators said would amount to "programmatic Fourth Amendment violations at tremendous scale."
What's more, says the letter, "government witnesses... have refused to substantively answer similar questions from Representative Lofgren, Senator Wyden, and Ranking Member Feinstein."
According to the groups, "Any extension of these expired FISA authorities is controversial and more appropriately considered under traditional authorizing legislation, not a Continuing Resolution, a Covid emergency bill, or any other comparable legislative vehicle."
The demands come as the House returns from recess, and with "bipartisan Covid-19 relief negotiations on ice," as Roll Collreported Monday, "congressional leaders have turned their attention to crafting a continuing resolution to keep the government open before the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.