American Civil Liberties Union : ACLU: Congress Must Reject Administration’s Call for FISA’s ‘Modernization’

There has never been a more urgent need to preserve fundamental privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than the need we face today, as illegal government spying and government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law in the name of national security. Learn more about ACLU's National Security Project (NSP), which advocates for national security policies that are consistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights.

ACLU: Congress Must Reject Administration’s Call for FISA’s ‘Modernization’ (4/13/2007)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON - Justice Department and intelligence community officials today submitted a bill to Congress asking for changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to reject this new attempt to erode the Fourth Amendment and its protections.

The following may be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.

"Like the sly fox guarding the henhouse, the Justice Department is selling this new bill as a better way to protect our privacy and civil liberties. Lawmakers should reject such false advertising. FISA has been constantly violated since President Bush authorized warrantless wiretapping and data mining of Americans by the National Security Agency in 2001.

"Congress shouldn’t reward a president who continuously disregards the rule of law. FISA has already been amended numerous times. It doesn’t need to be ‘modernized,’ it needs to be followed."

For more on the ACLU’s work on FISA, go to:

www.aclu.org/fisa

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