Gottheimer, Suozzi, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez Must Not Side with Johnson, Miller and Trump on Surveillance
Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled yet another proposal to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This proposal lacks meaningful privacy reforms, like his last, failed plan, and also extends FISA for three more years—twice as long as the Trump administration asked for. Demand Progress is part of a bipartisan coalition urging Congress to close loopholes in the law that allow the government to bypass the courts to surveil Americans. In advance of an expected vote on FISA next week, this coalition is holding accountable the four Democratic members who voted last week in support of a FISA reauthorization: Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Jared Golden (D-ME) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA). Demand Progress is also organizing constituent calls and outreach.
The following is a statement from Demand Progress Senior Policy Advisor Hajar Hammado:
“Just like last time, Speaker Johnson’s latest proposal lacks any meaningful privacy reforms, but this time, they’re trying to renew FISA for three more years—twice as long as the Trump administration asked for. Donald Trump and Stephen Miller want unfettered surveillance powers without any chance to enact protections, and Democrats must not give it to them. We need Reps. Gottheimer, Suozzi, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez to stand with the rest of Democrats and hold Donald Trump accountable. A vote in support of this FISA bill, especially procedural votes to advance it, is both a vote to allow Donald Trump to continue invasive, warrantless surveillance of private American citizens, and to sabotage even the chance of protecting privacy.”
A bipartisan majority of Americans across the nation and in Congress are demanding real privacy protections against abusive FISA searches. A robust set of resources on the need for privacy reforms for FISA are available here and here, and additional background, context, polling, reform demands, resources and other information is available here.