Elfreth Votes No on FISA Reauthorization

WASHINGTON DC - Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth voted no on S. 1318- Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, which extends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for three years. The legislation passed 235-191. Elfreth released the following statement on her vote.

"At the behest of the President, House Republicans have muscled through a reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA without any substantive reforms that would ensure the privacy of American citizens. Republicans negotiated this legislation behind closed doors without any input from House Democrats.

"After firing the DOJ and FBI watchdogs who protected Americans against Section 702 abuses, this Administration has shown little interest in protecting the Constitutional rights of the American people. This legislation has no real warrant requirements and no judicial oversight - the bill as passed is asking this Administration to self-report and self-police its own abuses. Congress must establish new, meaningful guardrails to address the emerging risks of oversurveillance.

"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I take our country's national security with the gravity that the issue demands. Section 702 of FISA is one of the most important tools the US government has to prevent terrorism and cyberattacks, which is why I met with multiple experts ahead of this vote to understand how we can responsibly balance serious national security concerns with serious privacy concerns. This bill falls far short of that balance."

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