Posted on 02/29/2020 2:38:54 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Amid scandal and abuse, reforming the FISA surveillance system will not be easy. But without systemic reform, the secret court at the heart of the government’s surveillance authority may not even survive.
“I don’t even give [the secret FISA Court] a 50-50 chance” of survival in its present form, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told Just The News.
Many Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill now say they are in agreement that something transformative must be done to fix shortcomings in the programs that allow government spying on U.S. citizens. But agreement on details is proving elusive.(I discuss why fixing FISA is so hard with a former National Security Agency "secret squirrel" on the latest episode of The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast
Add to the mix that Trump Attorney General William Barr is pressing Congress to authorize an extension of the government’s authority just as it is without reforms.
The office of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told Just The News that Wyden “has long fought for fundamental reforms to surveillance programs to better protect Americans’ rights. [Wyden] believes there should be more transparency … and better protections for due process.”
Rep. Perry says he is among a significant group in Congress that favors eliminating the FISA court altogether
“There’s nothing that can be done to save it legitimately,” he said. “It has to be shut down.”
A top official on Capitol Hill who asked not to be identified by name said there is “high double digit” support among Democrats for such a measure and “very significant bipartisan support for reforms or elimination.”
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is promoting a bill that would continue FISA with some changes. But Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) said today that it does not include enough reforms and penalties.
(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...
So they will just change the letters around and and claim a “new” court has been created! Way to go!
The fix is in. Mitch and Burr (Intel chair) will make sure the FISA lives on. The only thing they will give Trump is Ratcliffe as DNI. They are also tying it to Coronavirus issue so can’t veto.
Deep State wins again. Barr and Durham won’t even have to get out of bed to put out this fire.
I believe Senate confirmation for DNI would also clear Ratcliffe for any job that requires that. Like AG. His resume is a bit suspect but he is certainly hated by the right people in the GOP.
Kill it entirely.
With extreme prejudice.
L
“FISA must be destroyed.”
Yep.
L
Shut ‘em down...
Sen. Wyden is a hardcore Marxist so he doesn’t want a strong, pragmatic FISA or court. Well, the Left made sure that the Court was weak when it was packed with Obama leftists so any further reform Wyden would advocate would be like breaking both legs of a crippled person and telling them it’s for their own good.
The FISA court has been around since 1978. As astute posters have noted, rarely has a government institution been disbanded. This most certainly applies to the US court system.
Better to fix from within . . .
Good. They weaponized it against American citizens.
It needs to be shut down.
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