U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statements, warning against a new power grab by the FBI through Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702 reauthorization—which the House of Representatives has already passed and the Senate is currently negotiating. Senator Hawley announced the introduction of an amendment to protect Americans from this further government overreach.
Senator Hawley has repeatedly condemned the FBI for abusing its authority to surveil Americans and colluding with Big Tech to harvest Americans’ data.
On FISA: Everyone should know about the Turner Amendment.
This part of the House bill gives the FBI the power to press even MORE individuals into helping facilitate government surveillance.
Could your landlord or your handyman be sharing your info with the FBI? Maybe.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 18, 2024
And who are we giving more power to by making FISA broader? The FBI. An agency that has repeatedly proven they don’t deserve it.
Remember the Durham report? It found the FBI abused their power to open an investigation into the Trump campaign.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 18, 2024
And the FBI’s record on Section 702 is just as bad. In 2022, a judge identified around 278,000 improper searches on Americans in the FISA database.⁰
This is the same FBI the House decided to give even MORE power too. It’s insane. And it must be stopped.— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 18, 2024
Bottom line: the government doesn’t deserve more open-ended surveillance authority. I’ve introduced an amendment to stop this new power grab before it’s too late.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 18, 2024