WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to reauthorize parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which grants multiple surveillance authorities to the United States government:
“Protecting the civil liberties of the American people is paramount. During the 2016 election, we saw these liberties violated by the federal government when career bureaucrats lied on FISA warrant applications in order to weaponize the FISA court system and target the Trump campaign. Our reformed FISA reauthorization takes necessary steps to prevent such a violation from reoccurring, with provisions written to ensure United States’ surveillance authorities cannot again be wrongfully used against American citizens for political gain. I urge the House to pass this improved bill.”
These authorities expired in March when the House failed to take up the short-term reauthorization passed by the Senate.
Senator Cramer cosponsored an amendment to this legislation, the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act, offered by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The amendment bolsters legal protections for U.S. persons who are targets of federal surveillance by providing them with third party advocates and requiring the FISA court to fully review any exculpatory evidence. It passed the Senate yesterday by a vote of 77-19.
“I appreciate Senators Lee and Leahy’s leadership on seizing this moment to advance protections for civil liberties,” said Senator Cramer. “Every American suspected of a crime deserves an advocate.”