Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R- The Woodlands) voted today in favor of a the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act of 2006, a measure aimed at updating the outdated Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The bill sets a standard to allow electronic surveillance of people in the United States when there is a reasonable belief that they are communicating with terrorist organizations, and it will clarify the roles of the three branches of government in overseeing electronic surveillance.
"If you are living in the United States and are communicating with a known al-Qaeda terrorist, there's a reasonable national security concern and a need to monitor that communication. People who talk to al-Qaeda terrorists are not just asking about the weather and whether the Cowboys will make it to the Super Bowl," said Brady.
The bill contains several measures aimed at protecting the civil liberties and the privacy of Americans while at the same time provides law enforcement and the intelligence community the tools they need to monitor terrorist communications and activities.
Included are provisions to strengthen oversight of the executive branch and enhance accountability by requiring that more information be provided to the courts and each member of the House and Senate Intelligence committees receive information concerning electronic surveillance.
The bill also modernizes and simplifies the process of getting a FISA warrant so more emphasis can be placed on protecting civil liberties of Americans, instead of fighting bureaucratic red tape.
Communications technology has advanced tremendously since the first FISA law was implemented. This bill takes into account changes in twenty-first century communications so that our intelligence agencies can use their powerful tools to spy on terrorists while protecting the privacy of Americans.
The bill also removes several outdated loopholes exploited by terrorists that have hampered the ability of our intelligence agencies to keep Americans safe.
