Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),

Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,

On FISA Amendments Act Of 2008

June 19, 2008

 

“After months of negotiations, the legislation unveiled today to replace the so-called Protect America Act, which Republicans refused to extend, is not a bill I can support.  I have said since the beginning of this debate that I would oppose a bill that did not provide accountability for this administration’s six years of illegal, warrantless wiretapping.  This bill would dismiss ongoing cases against the telecommunications carriers that participated in that program without allowing a judicial review of the legality of the program.  Therefore, it lacks accountability measures that I believe are crucial.  My interest is not in harming telecommunications carriers.  I would have supported indemnification by the government or substitution of the government for them in these lawsuits.  But for me, there must be accountability.

 

“With respect to the surveillance authorities, I believe the bill represents an improvement over the flawed legislation passed the Senate earlier this year.  I applaud Representative Hoyer and Senator Rockefeller for their diligent work in negotiating this package.  They added protections to the surveillance authorities that bring it closer to the bill the Senate Judiciary Committee reported last year.  If the bill passes, I will work with the next administration to make additional improvements. 

 

“I will continue to work to protect all Americans from the Bush-Cheney administration’s roll back of civil liberties of Americans and disregard for the rule of law.  As the Supreme Court noted last week, ‘security subsists, too, in fidelity to freedom’s first principles.’  We can protect our security while honoring American values and respecting our freedoms.”

 

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