Toward a Better Surveillance Law
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Regarding the Aug. 6 editorial "Warrantless Surrender":
The revision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that President Bush signed into law Sunday exposes Americans to broad surveillance without court approval.
Working with House and Senate leadership, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, and I set forth a proposal last week that would have addressed the needs of the intelligence community while balancing civil liberties and providing meaningful oversight. Our proposal was carefully crafted to preserve Americans' rights and meet the administration's standards, as articulated by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. But at the end of these good-faith negotiations, the administration opposed a bill that addressed its concerns.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked us to continue working to meet the needs articulated by Mr. McConnell while addressing the shortcomings of the bill that passed this weekend. This act was only a short-term revision, and the president has signaled his intent to seek more-permanent legislation. We will move quickly to enact more-permanent revisions when Congress returns in the fall. However, in order to do so, we will need the administration's cooperation.
Mr. Reyes and I have repeatedly sought more information about the administration's surveillance programs, official and otherwise. If the president is serious about moving forward with FISA revision, we will see prompt action on these requests. We are committed to working with our Senate counterparts to craft a FISA update that ensures effective intelligence gathering in a manner consistent with American freedoms.
JOHN CONYERS JR.
U.S. Representative (D-Mich.)
Washington
The writer is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
