HOLD. THE LINE

Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy. Image courtesy of Edward M. Kennedy Institute

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is a sweeping piece of legislation that allows the United States government and its law enforcement agencies to spy on non-U.S citizens- for the purposes of gathering foreign intelligence. Originally, the law granted Power to the “President, acting through the Attorney General, to authorize electronic surveillances for foreign intelligence purposes without a court order in certain circumstances.” It prohibited “the use or disclosure of any information concerning any United States person,” except in situations where imminent danger was present, or where an emergency request for surveillance was “disapproved…in any manner by Federal officers or employees without the consent of such person.”

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was first amended in 2008 through the sponsorship of Representative of Silvestre Reyes of Texas, which effectively expanded the government’s powers under the original Act of 1978. The 2008 amendment was meant “to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes;” those other purposes to include the introduction of the much-debated-as-of-late Section 702, including permitting federal surveillance of non- U.S persons both inside and outside the United States, as well as the ability to  require an “electronic communication” provider give access to all electronic records held by the provider in relation to an individual targeted under this law.

Although Mainstream Media has reported “warnings” from lawmakers about the ramifications of the law expiring in light of the World Cup, I can’t help but be skeptical. Especially because of the way so-called Democrats are so invested in the “privacy rights of Americans.” Which “Americans” are they referring to? Us, or the recent ones who have been flown and smuggled across our borders?

READ: CONGRESSWOMAN INDICTED AS CHINESE SPY

And the so-called Republicans who are crossing lines in a traitorous spectacle of bi-partisanship are no better, since the two measures that have been passed to keep the 2008 amendment to the original Act of 1978- Section 702 included!- received votes from both sides of the aisle. But what really gets me is how MSM (and all the puppet commentators joined hand in hand with them) want to hype the American public up to believe that President Trump and all his conservative cronies are holding up the progression of the bill’s amendment by wanting to reauthorize the 2008 iteration of FISA as is, without including language that would require a warrant to spy on a U.S. citizen. But the REAL tea is that both the original law AND the 2008 amendment explicitly prohibit spying on any U.S. persons. In fact, the original Act of 1978 prohibits this even if it is thought to be believed that a person who was once thought to be located in a foreign country could potentially be located inside the United States! By including language that would require a warrant to spy on Americans, it is effectively allowing the government to spy on United States’ citizens under FISA, as long as they get a warrant first.

Image courtesy of Congressman Keith Self (Facebook).

If what they say is true, then it seems to me that the fight shouldn’t be about including language that would require a warrant for the federal government to spy on “Americans” inside the United States, but to call the government into account for the ways in which it has already violated the tenets of this law, and creating language that focuses on not only preventing, but prosecuting that.

“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…” Bill of Right, Amendment I

Exercise your First Amendment Right below!

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