Woolsey's Position on FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Act)

Thank you for contacting me regarding the assault on civil liberties. I appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts with me on this issue.

Like you, I am concerned by any effort to scale back our constitutionally-protected civil liberties in the name of national security. We must support initiatives that protect our nation, however we must be careful not to sanction programs that violate people's rights and freedoms. More protection is needed against invasions of Americans' privacy, which is why, during the 110 th Congress, I voted against H.R. 6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act, a bill which permits mass, untargeted surveillance of Americans' communications without fundamental protections for Americans' civil liberties. This legislation eliminated essential court oversight protections contained in previous FISA modernization bills, and resulted in de facto immunity for telecommunications companies that illegally cooperated with the Administration's domestic spying program. The President signed this legislation into law on July 10, 2008.

Additionally, I voted against H.R. 514, the FISA Sunsets Extension Act of 2011, which extended expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act through December 8, 2011. This bill includes provisions that allow the government expanded access to personal information, such as medical, library, and banking records, and permit the use of "roving" wiretaps. It also gives federal investigators the authority to conduct surveillance of people who are not connected to a larger organization . I voted against H.R. 514 when it passed the House of Representatives on February 14, 2011, and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 25, 2011. We should move toward a fuller debate about civil liberties and national security, one that revises and ultimately repeals the FISA Amendments Act and PATRIOT Act once and for all. Be assured that I will continue to fight against infringements on our freedoms as we address our national security.

Again, it's good to hear from you. The people of Marin and Sonoma counties are the most important voices I listen to as I serve in Congress.


Sincerely,
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Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress