Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has taken a stand to protect Americans' civil liberties and advocate for reform to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In his latest effort, Dr. Paul called for a Senate vote to remove the reauthorization of FISA from the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

A bipartisan group of 34 senators joined Dr. Paul in voting to remove the reauthorization of FISA from the NDAA. However, the final vote tally fell short by six votes, with a result of 35-65, which means that domestic spying authority will continue.

Dr. Paul expressed his concerns about the constitutionality of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, stating, "So far as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows our government to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant, it is unconstitutional."

He also highlighted the need for reform, particularly regarding Section 702, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Dr. Paul emphasized that Congress should have used this opportunity to make meaningful changes and better protect Americans' civil liberties. However, it appears that reform efforts have been neglected, and there is now an urgency to extend Section 702 into 2024.

Dr. Paul raised concerns about the implications of extending Section 702, stating, "That means, once again, the intelligence agencies that ignore the constraints on their power will go unaddressed and unpunished. And the warrantless surveillance of Americans, in violation of the Bill of Rights, will continue."

He further explained the extent of warrantless surveillance, highlighting that Americans' communications content and metadata are collected and stored in government databases without a warrant. Law enforcement agencies then access this information without a warrant, resulting in a violation of privacy rights.

During his remarks, Dr. Paul emphasized the importance of protecting civil liberties and the integrity of the congressional conference committee process. He called on his fellow senators to remove the extension of domestic spying authority from the defense bill, stating, "To protect our civil liberties and the integrity of the congressional conference committee process, we must strip this extension of domestic spying authority out of the defense bill."

Dr. Paul's efforts to protect civil liberties and push for reform have garnered support from a bipartisan group of senators. Although the vote to remove the reauthorization of FISA from the NDAA was unsuccessful, it highlights the ongoing debate surrounding domestic spying authority and the need for meaningful reform.

In his fight to protect civil liberties, Dr. Rand Paul continues to be a vocal advocate for the constitutional rights of American citizens.

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For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-fights-to-protect-civil-liberties-calls-on-senate-to-remove-domestic-spying-authority-in-ndaa/