The House is voting today on FISA legislation, the Democrats have played petty politics with this bill. As currently written, many of America’s national security experts are concerned that it will limit their ability to protect this country. Let’s be clear, the intelligence agencies only wish to use the same investigative tools that have been used against organized crime for decades.
Today, we will be offering an amendment to the legislation to clarify that nothing in the bill “shall be construed to prohibit the intelligence community from conducting surveillance needed to prevent Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, or any other foreign terrorist organization…from attacking the United States or any United States person.â€
Later today, on the House floor, let’s put all Members of Congress on the record – which do they care more about, pleasing their MoveOn.org liberal base or making sure America is safe and secure? Stay tuned for updates.
UPDATE:House Democrats are holding the FISA bill off the floor, scrambling to figure out how to respond. Why would they possibly want to avoid a vote that merely says we need to allow our intelligence agencies to keep America safe from terrorism?
UPDATE:House Democrats have pulled the FISA bill. They are so desperately against allowing our intelligence agencies to fight OBL and AQ, that they pulled the entire bill to prevent a vote.
October 17th, 2007 at 5:01 pm “shall be construed to prohibit the intelligence community from conducting surveillance…”
Does that mean warrantless wiretaps?
October 17th, 2007 at 5:45 pm I can’t believe that the Democrats pulled the bill, because they were afraid to vote to fight terror. Were they asleep in 2001? How quickly they forget.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:45 pm Glad to see the someone in the GOP pulling the Dems tricks on them!
October 20th, 2007 at 1:22 am I read elsewhere that the amendment duplicated a measure in the bill, and that the Democrats didn’t choose not to put it for a vote, but rather the way the amendment was introduced would procedurally require it to be sent back to committee, producing a large delay.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:16 am I would like to go on the record that I am for warrantless wiretaps on foreigners like “Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, or any other foreign terrorist organization…from attacking the United States or any United States person.” Especially since my family lives in the United States and we are all United States persons. Call me a right wing nut.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:34 pm The government should not be spying on American citizens, and if law enforcement deems it absolutely necessary to do so, then they should go before an impartial judge and get a warrant.
When the government has free reign to listen in on anyone’s conversations, without judicial oversight and with the complicity of telecommunications companies, you can bet that there will be tremendous abuse of this power. Who would ever know? Who is there to oversee them? These companies should not receive blanket immunity for assisting the government in breaking the law.
Besides, as Americans we have inalienable rights and one of them is to be free from searches and seizures, unless a warrant has been issued. It’s bad precedent to ignore such an integral part of the Constitution.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:38 pm Thank God someone had the good sense to pull this bill!! Why was it the nasty Democrats instead of us?!
Also, as a combat vet, I understand security, etc… But, I NEVER understood why Congress continues to introduce these bills that violate portions of the Constitution. Of course, supposedly it will make us more secure, but what about our freedoms? I was willing to lay my life on the line for this country, for our liberties over in Iraq… Are you?
-Those who sacrifice a their liberties for security, deserve neither…..