WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after voting to reauthorize sections of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):
“Although this bill is not perfect, tonight I joined a wide bipartisan majority of my colleagues to reauthorize FISA Section 702. This program is critical to the security of our nation, and we could not permit it to lapse.
“I take the protection of Americans’ civil liberties seriously, and this was not an easy decision for me to make. I appreciate that this reauthorization bill contains the most significant reforms to Section 702 that have occurred during my Senate tenure. These reforms apply strict guardrails to the FBI’s access to Section 702 data, and they restrict the FBI’s ability to search the private communications of Americans. This bill also includes important transparency provisions, like opening up the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to congressional observers and mandating more frequent reports from the intelligence community to Congress. I intend to vigorously exercise this new oversight power. These changes and the ongoing national security threats we face from across the world have made it easier to support this bill. If the choice is between an improved Section 702 program or no program at all, the choice is clear.
“With that said, I will continue pushing for enhanced privacy protections to ensure that Americans’ constitutional rights are properly balanced with national security interests. Defending our national security and protecting our civil liberties are not mutually exclusive.
Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.