FISA

November 15, 2007 -- "The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a better, stronger and more balanced bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including reducing the sunset provision from six to four years, to make it easier to make further improvements in the years to come. I am proud of the contribution the Judiciary Committee has made to the process of setting down clear laws to govern the wiretapping of Americans.    » read more »

United States Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Meeting

November 15, 2007 -- (As Prepared for Delivery)    » read more »

United States Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Meeting

November 8, 2007 -- "This is an important mark-up. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is one of our landmark statutes. For nearly 30 years, it has regulated government surveillance in a way that protects both our national security and our civil liberties and prevents the government from abusing its powers. It is because FISA enhances both security and liberty that it has won such broad support over the years from presidents, members of Congress, and the public alike.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- October 31, 2007 -- Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about FISA and the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the Attorney General of the United States during a Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "FISA Amendments: How to Protect Americans’ Security and Privacy and Preserve the Rule of Law and Government Accountability"

A copy of Senator Specter’s opening statement is pasted below:

Senator Specter:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.    » read more »

October 22, 2007 -- WASHINGTON (Monday, Oct. 22) – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) Monday sent a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding again requesting access to documents relevant to the Committee’s upcoming consideration of legislation to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).    » read more »

17 October 2007 -- Legislation in the House of Representatives to revise U.S. law on anti-terrorist electronic surveillance without a court warrant has run into trouble in the House of Representatives. Consideration of the Democratic-crafted measure to strengthen oversight by a special intelligence court was halted by Democratic leaders amid uncertainty about whether it could pass, and in the face of a veto threat from President Bush.    » read more »

October 9, 2007 -- (Washington, DC) – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) introduced The Responsible Electronic Surveillance that is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective Act of 2007 – the “RESTORE Act,” in an effort to address concerns about civil liberty protections in the hastily-enacted “Protect America Act” that was signed into law in early August.    » read more »

“Strengthening FISA: Does The Protect America Act Protect Americans' Civil Liberties And Enhance Security?”

September 25, 2007 -- The Committee holds this hearing today to consider the Protect America Act, passed in haste in early August.    » read more »

August 16, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today sent President Bush the following letter, requesting that the President provide all documents and other information sought by the House and Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees in order to conduct oversight of the implementation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

August 16, 2007

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:    » read more »

August 14, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter today to Senators Jay Rockefeller and Pat Leahy, encouraging them to develop long-term modernizations to FISA that better serve our national security interests than the law signed by President Bush this month:

August 14, 2007

The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV
Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Chairman, Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Jay and Pat:    » read more »

CHICAGO August 6, 2007 -- The American Bar Association is deeply concerned that in passing revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Congress has allowed a great expansion of the warrantless surveillance of American citizens, without adequate checks and balances to prevent invasions of privacy.    » read more »

August 7, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) yesterday asked for and received a letter from Admiral Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, detailing assurances he made to Senators on Friday evening that temporary modifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will not infringe on the rights of Americans.

Admiral McConnell’s letter is attached below.

The following is Senator Feinstein’s comment:    » read more »

August 3, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate today in support of the Rockefeller-Levin bill to modernize FISA and in opposition to the Bond bill:

“I appreciate the hard work that all sides have put into developing this legislation. This is a very difficult and controversial matter, with critically important national security and civil liberties concerns that cannot be and have not been taken lightly.    » read more »

(As Prepared for Delivery)

August 3, 2007 -- "Mr./Madam President, there is general agreement on both sides of the aisle that we have a foreign intelligence surveillance problem that should be addressed. The difference between us is that on this side of the aisle we have consistently been willing to work cooperatively to solve the problem.    » read more »

Senator Webb on Senate Passage of Measure to Amend FISA

August 4, 2007 -- “Yesterday I supported two measures to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. These measures were considered against the backdrop of heightened concerns from our nation's intelligence community abut the threat of international terrorism. The ramifications of the two amendments before us last night were not political. Instead they related to the urgent demands of national security. I chose to heed those warnings. We now have six months to work in earnest to bring full accountability to the process.    » read more »