Deluzio Statement on House Passage of FISA Reauthorization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio released the following statement after the bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) passed on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congressman Deluzio voted for the bipartisan amendment to establish a warrant requirement for FISA’s Section 702, but he voted against final passage of the bill after the warrant amendment failed to pass in a 212-212 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

FISA is a federal law that sets out rules and procedures for gathering foreign intelligence through electronic surveillance, physical searches, pen registers, and more. Passed after Watergate and other surveillance scandals in 1978, it established the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Congress has amended FISA multiple times since then, including after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The FISA debate in Congress centers around Section 702, which permits the U.S. government to collect electronic communications of non-Americans located outside the country without a warrant. The Congressman shares concerns that the “dragnet” approach used in the collection of data on Americans who are in contact with those surveilled threatens the privacy and civil liberties of Americans protected by the Constitution.  

Congressman Chris Deluzio released the following statement:

“FISA Section 702 is a critical security program, but it is also a program that has long been abused. Administrations of both parties have too often used the program to invade the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens.  

“I voted today for a bipartisan amendment to impose a warrant requirement because I think we need the tool of FISA Section 702, but it needs to have guardrails. That amendment failed by a tied vote of 212-212. As a result, I could not support reauthorizing this program without better protections for our civil liberties and our constitutional rights.

“I joined with Republicans and Democrats to try to pass a warrant requirement and to oppose the warrantless surveillance of Americans that the bill would permit. Congress should take another opportunity to work on this issue—and when it does, it should protect our security while respecting our Constitution.” 

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