Senate to Vote on Dr. Paul’s Amendments to Eliminate Unconstitutional Practices in Fake FISA Reform and Government Spying
These reforms are vital steps towards modernizing surveillance laws and upholding fundamental liberties in the digital age.
Editor’s note: Sen. Paul’s amendment, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale was covered previously by Staten Islander News. It is not clear whether these amendments have bipartisan support, and according to the ACLU, the bill passed as written, apparently without these amendments, which were not mentioned.
The ACLU describes the RISAA Act provisions that passed as follows:
“The “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act” includes dangerous provisions, such as:
- Expanding the definition of “electronic communications service providers,” which allows the government to force a wide range of U.S. businesses to give the NSA access to their wifi routers, phones, and other communications equipment.
- Requiring completely suspicionless searches of Section 702 data for non-U.S. persons seeking permission to enter the country, including visa holders who are longtime residents of the United States and are returning from travel.
- Weakening the FISA Court’s ability to obtain independent input from experts on civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy when the government secretly seeks permission to conduct novel forms of surveillance.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced crucial amendments to correct a slew of unconstitutional provisions in H.R. 7888 the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA) and other governmental spying practices.
RISAA was initially presented to Americans as a significant reform and reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). However, instead of curbing this overreach, RISAA significantly expands it by granting government agencies extraordinary authority to force private entities into disclosing sensitive communication data. Moreover, it undermines vital oversight mechanisms, despite bipartisan appeals for stronger safeguards.
The Senate is set to vote on Dr. Paul’s amendments yesterday. You can watch HERE.
“We cannot continue sacrificing our freedoms in the name of security. Rather than reining in FISA overreach, RISAA expands it dramatically,” said Dr. Paul. “I urge my colleagues to support meaningful reforms that protect both national security and civil liberties.”
Dr. Paul’s proposed amendments to RISAA represent a significant effort to strike a balance between national security and individual privacy rights. These reforms are vital steps towards modernizing surveillance laws and upholding fundamental liberties in the digital age.
SA 1828 | Exempting Americans from Secretive Targeting and Querying Processes
Dr. Paul’s amendment, SA 1828, aims to impose strict limitations on the surveillance and information-gathering activities under FISA concerning Americans while safeguarding our national security within the legal system. (This did not pass)
Key provisions include:
- Limitation on Surveillance: Prohibits electronic surveillance, physical searches, use of pen registers or trap-and-trace devices, production of tangible things, or targeting Americans for information acquisition.
- Limitation on Queries: Prohibits querying information collected under certain authorizations using search terms associated with Americans.
- Limitation on Use of Information: Information acquired or derived from surveillance activities under this Act cannot be used against Americans in legal proceedings except in specific cases outlined in the amendment.
SA 1829 | The Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act
Dr. Paul’s amendment, SA 1829 the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act, seeks to enhance privacy protections, regulate government entities’ data access, and establish clear guidelines for lawful data acquisition and use.
Key provisions include:
- Protection of Records Held by Data Brokers: Prohibits law enforcement and intelligence agencies from obtaining certain records and information from data brokers in exchange for anything of value.
- Required Disclosure: Limits the government’s ability to require disclosure of customer or subscriber records and illegitimately obtained information from third parties without a court order.
- Intermediary Service Providers: Introduces a definition for “intermediary service provider” and prohibits these providers from disclosing certain types of information to anyone without proper authorization.
Banner Image: Government spying. Image Credit – Claudio Schwarz
