Comment Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On FISA Fix Proposal
August 1, 2007

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy has been working closely with Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democratic House and Senate members to develop a responsible, targeted reform to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that would address an immediate need with our nation’s foreign intelligence collection.  Below is Chairman Leahy’s comment on the reform.

“The Congress is willing and able to responsibly reform FISA when changes are needed, and now is such a time.  In the last decade alone, Congress has amended FISA on many occasions, and I believe we should make this targeted and responsible fix now.  The reform we have proposed to the Administration will improve the government’s ability to collect intelligence, while protecting the civil liberties of Americans by maintaining oversight of the FISA Court when calls to or from the United States are involved.  The Administration, instead, would shift this oversight role and additional authority away from the expert FISA Court to the Attorney General.  It is essential to preserve the crucial role of the FISA Court in protecting civil liberties of Americans while providing our intelligence agencies the flexibility they need.  It is not wise to expand the authority of this Attorney General – or any Attorney General – in this regard.  I urge the Administration to support this reasonable solution that ensures checks and balances while strengthening our national security.”

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