FreedomWorks recognizes Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) as member of the month for February. Representing Texas’s 2nd congressional district, Rep. Poe was elected in November 2004 to succeed now-retired Rep. Jim Turner (R-Texas), who had held the seat since 1997. Rep. Poe is the first Republican to represent this particular district.
FreedomWorks Vice President of Legislative Affairs Jason Pye issued the following statement after the Senate passed the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act:
On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on the USA RIGHTS Act, which has been offered as an amendment to S. 139, the vehicle for the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act. The USA RIGHTS Act was originally introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Ted Poe (R-Texas). The amendment that will be offered on the floor Thursday is sponsored by Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.).
On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote NO on FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act, S. 139. The bill would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for six years. Despite some tweaks to the original text produced by the House Select Committee on Intelligence, the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act continues to represent an assault on the Fourth Amendment.
Congress doesn’t have much time left on the legislative calendar for the year, but there’s still a lot on the agenda to get across the finish line. In the few remaining days, Republicans hope to pass a tax reform bill and either another short-term continuing resolution or an omnibus to fund the government.
Widespread controversy over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance and Accountability Act (FISA) continues, as the December 31 deadline for reauthorization is fast-approaching. Politicians and civil liberties groups alike have worked for several years, particularly since the revelations made by Edward Snowden, in an attempt to strike a balance between privacy and national security. FISA has been a centerpiece of this discussion, and its reauthorization discussions have brought it once again to the forefront.
The current authorization for Title VII, including the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), will expire on December 31, 2017. Discussion of reauthorization with reform has already begun in the House. In the Senate, however, Republican members of the Select Committee on Intelligence have backed legislation that would permanently reauthorize FISA without any reform.
Innocent Americans should not fear their government. Few issues are as truly bipartisan as this. When we are afraid, we change our activity in fundamental ways. We avoid actions that we fear might put us in the crosshairs of the government’s overwhelming power. We speak differently. We associate with different people.