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U.S.
Senator Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Tuesday, February 12, 2008 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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| Sen. Salazar Statement on FISA Passage WASHINGTON, DC - Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar released the following statement after the Senate voted to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by a vote of 68 to 29. “I believe it is my duty as a United States Senator to ensure our Nation has the ability to fight terrorism while protecting Americans’ civil liberties. Americans deserve a government that can and will fulfill its primary responsibility – the responsibility of keeping its citizens safe from attack. But we also deserve a government that will not abuse the power entrusted to it. “The bill we passed today made several important improvements to the current FISA program. It will provide law enforcement the tools it needs to protect America and at the same time provide necessary safeguards to our cherished civil liberties. The bill increases the role of the FISA court in enforcing procedures for protecting privacy, explicitly prohibits the targeting of any person reasonably believed to be in the United States, requires yearly audits of intelligence collection, and sets a six-year sunset to allow Congress to evaluate how the new authorities are being carried out. “While these are
important improvements, I supported several amendments that would have
gone further in protecting civil liberties and would have limited the
immunity protection provided to telecommunications companies involved
in helping the government collect intelligence, including a four-year
sunset review as well as a required FISA court review of liability issues
for telecom companies. These amendments were not adopted, but I am hopeful
that they will be considered as we reconcile the Senate bill with the
House-passed bill.” ###
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