- United States
- Calif.
- Letter
Oppose FISA Reauthorization Without a Real Warrant Requirement
To: Sen. Schiff, Sen. Padilla
From: A constituent in El Dorado Hills, CA
June 5
Vote no on this FISA reauthorization bill. It does not require agents to get a warrant or FISA Title I order before searching Americans' private communications collected under Section 702, and the documented history of abuse makes clear that voluntary compliance is not enough.
The FBI has conducted backdoor searches targeting protestors, 19,000 congressional campaign donors, members of Congress, and journalists — all without a warrant. The bill's so-called reforms don't change that. Oversight layers have already failed, especially after 21 Inspectors General were fired. Worse, Section 3 actually removes an existing restriction on using Section 702 data against Americans in criminal prosecutions, expanding government power where the bill claims to limit it. Seventy-six percent of Americans support a warrant requirement. The House has passed it twice.
This bill was negotiated behind closed doors with reform advocates excluded, and there are no plans to allow amendment votes. Force Senate leadership to allow amendments — specifically one that ends warrantless access to Americans' communications. Don't reauthorize surveillance powers that have been repeatedly abused without first fixing them.