FreedomWorks and Allied Groups Deliver Nonpartisan Letter to Senate Demanding FISA Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of an expected vote in the Senate on amendments to reform expired FISA surveillance authorities, a coalition of over 30 groups from across the political spectrum, led by FreedomWorks, Demand Progress, and the ACLU, joined together on a letter to the Senate demanding strong reforms to protect their constituents’ civil liberties.

The coalition asks that senators support the reform amendments offered by Senators Lee and Leahy, Paul, and Daines and Wyden, while opposing the McConnell amendments designed to weaken each of these. The text of the coalition letter can be found here. Jason Pye, FreedomWorks Vice President of Legislative Affairs, commented:

“What we’ve learned about the FISA process over the past few years, even the past few months, should make it very clear that it’s not acceptable to keep reauthorizing these surveillance authorities without — at minimum — strengthening protections against abuse and increasing transparency.

“Protecting the due process rights of Americans shouldn’t be partisan or even controversial, as the coalition gathered here should illustrate. If the Senate cannot pass even modest, common-sense reforms, then the expired surveillance authorities should stay expired.”