Durbin, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Reauthorize And Reform FISA Section 702 To Protect Americans From Foreign Threats And Warrantless Surveillance

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced bipartisan legislation to protect Americans’ national security and civil liberties. TheSecurity and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Actadvances national security by reauthorizing the foreign intelligence surveillance tool known as Section 702 of theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act(FISA)and protects Americans’ privacy and civil liberties by prohibiting the use of this tool for warrantless surveillance of Americans.
“Section 702 is a valuable tool to help keep our nation safe. However, it’s being used to conduct thousands of warrantless searches of Americans’ private communications. That’s unacceptable. Our bipartisanSAFE Actis a commonsense solution to continue protecting our country from foreign threats—while safeguarding Americans’ civil liberties and privacy,”said Durbin.
“The many documented abuses underFISAshould provoke outrage from anyone who values the Fourth Amendment. From warrantless searches targeting journalists, political commentators, and campaign donors to monitoring sitting members of Congress, these infringements reveal a blatant disregard for individual liberties. Our bipartisan reforms toFISASection 702 are common sense and imperative to restoring trust in our government’s commitment to the Constitution,”said Lee.
TheSAFE Actreauthorizes Section 702 for two years and includes the following key safeguards:
The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).
Read the full bill texthere.
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