Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is leading the charge to protect the civil liberties of Americans by calling on the Senate to remove domestic spying authority in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Dr. Paul is pushing for reform to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which currently allows the U.S. government to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant.

In a bipartisan effort, 34 senators joined Dr. Paul in voting to remove the reauthorization of FISA from the annual NDAA. However, the final vote tally fell six votes short of ending domestic spying authority.

Dr. Paul delivered a powerful speech ahead of the vote, expressing his concerns about the constitutionality of FISA and the need for meaningful reform. He stated, "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 missed opportunity to make reforms to Section 702, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Dr. Paul lamented the lack of serious consideration or prioritization of reforms by the uniparty, stating, "And now we are told that we simply have no choice but to extend Section 702 into 2024."

Dr. Paul emphasized the impact of Section 702 on Americans' privacy, noting that communications content and metadata are collected and stored in government databases without a warrant. Law enforcement agencies then access these communications without a warrant, violating the rights protected by the Bill of Rights.

In his remarks, Dr. Paul called on his fellow senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and protect civil liberties. He stated, "Those who make the lazy and predictable argument that government is your only shield from threats always fail to mention that government itself often is the threat."

To safeguard civil liberties and the integrity of the congressional conference committee process, Dr. Paul urged the removal of domestic spying authority from the defense bill. He concluded, "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. Rand Paul's fight to protect civil liberties and remove domestic spying authority from the NDAA reflects his unwavering commitment to upholding the Constitution and ensuring the privacy of American citizens.