Bowling Green Today

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continues his fight to protect civil liberties and push for reform to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by calling on the Senate to remove reauthorization of FISA from the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

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 short, with 35 votes in favor and 65 against, thus failing to end domestic spying authority.

During his prepared remarks ahead of the vote, Dr. Paul emphasized the importance of reforming FISA to better protect Americans' civil liberties. 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."

Dr. Paul expressed his disappointment that the opportunity to make meaningful changes and reforms to FISA was not prioritized. He highlighted the expiration of Section 702 at the end of the year and the need for Congress to address the constraints on the power of intelligence agencies.

Referring to the warrantless surveillance of Americans, Dr. Paul explained, "Using 702, Americans’ communications content and metadata is inevitably swept up and kept in government databases without a warrant. Law enforcement agencies then access Americans’ communications without a warrant."

In his remarks, Dr. Paul urged his fellow senators to prioritize their constitutional duty and protect civil liberties. He called for the removal of 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 remove domestic spying authority from the NDAA highlight his commitment to safeguarding the rights of U.S. citizens. Despite falling short in the Senate vote, he continues to fight for meaningful reforms to protect Americans' civil liberties and ensure the accountability of intelligence agencies.

For more information and to watch Dr. Paul's full remarks, please visit Senator Rand Paul's official website.