Washington, D.C. – In a historic bipartisan effort, Congress has stepped in to fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA H.R. 6304).  The bill increases our nation’s security by ensuring there is no gap in intelligence collection against terrorists, while protecting our civil liberties by preventing the government from listening in on citizens without a lawful warrant.   This bill also increases oversight of intelligence activities, rejects automatic immunity for telecommunications companies.  Equally as important, it contains a 2012 sunset so that Congress can further improve it during the next Administration.

In response to the vote, Congressman Baird released the following statement:

“The rights and liberties guaranteed to every American in the Constitution aren’t optional.  This legislation takes important steps forward in protecting us all from the very real threats of terrorism in the 21st century, but not at the expense of civil liberties.

This bill provides bright line rules that will prevent the sort of abuses committed by the Administration in the past.  

It ensures that US citizens living here and abroad can’t and won’t be targeted without a proper warrant and probable cause.

And it provides a legal mechanism by which the prior conduct of the telecommunications companies and the Administration can be investigated.  

This bill isn’t perfect, but it succeeds in making FISA better than it was, better than the Republican alternative, and certainly better than nothing.  

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