The Senate advanced legislation on Thursday to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is crucial in preventing terrorism, catching spies, and disrupting cyberattacks. The bill has already passed the House but is facing renewed concerns in the Senate regarding potential violations of Americans’ civil liberties. Both progressive and conservative lawmakers are pushing for further changes to the legislation, which could impact its passage in the upper chamber.
The Biden administration has been providing classified briefings to senators on Capitol Hill, emphasizing the importance of the surveillance program in protecting national security. Critics of the bill are demanding that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer allow votes on amendments to address perceived civil liberty loopholes. Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont expressed concerns about the administration’s stance that any changes to the program could jeopardize its effectiveness, urging the Senate not to abdicate its responsibility in scrutinizing the legislation.
Supporters of the bill, including the Biden administration and the leaders of the national security committees in Congress, are backing the current version of the legislation. Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, dismissed proposed changes as unnecessary and potentially destructive to the purpose of the program. Concerns have been raised about the expiration of the spy program, though the Biden administration expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year.
Despite the expiration of the program looming, officials believe that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court’s recent opinion will allow it to continue for now. However, they emphasize the importance of congressional reauthorization to ensure continued cooperation from communications companies. Skepticism of the government’s surveillance powers has been growing, particularly on the right, with Republicans divided over the legislative overhaul of the FISA program. Earlier clashes in the House were resolved by shortening the extension of the program from five years to two years.
Lawmakers are specifically concerned about the FBI’s use of the surveillance program to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S., even though the program is intended to target foreigners in other countries. Recent revelations of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S. have raised red flags among legislators. Overall, the push for reauthorization of Section 702 has faced bipartisan resistance, with concerns about civil liberties and government overreach at the forefront of the debate.
