Stop the Politicization and Abuse of Government Surveillance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee is considering legislation to reform and save our Nation’s government surveillance programs from ongoing politicization and abuse. The Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act adds stiff penalties to deter politicization and holds those accessing government surveillance programs accountable. Reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act (FISA) without serious reform undermines our national security interests and threatens the constitutional freedoms Americans enjoy daily.

“Advanced electronic surveillance of potential foreign threats is a critical tool necessary for defeating those who want to hurt Americans,” said Scott Erickson, Director of the Center for Law and Justice for the America First Policy institute. “Without critical reform by Congress, this vital program remains vulnerable to political opportunists more interested in personal gain. Codifying criminal and civil penalties for those who might abuse these tools, including adding prison time for high-profile political offenses and prompt enforcement and accountability provisions, would go a long way to deter negligent behavior like this from starting in the first place.”

The most prominent example of surveillance abuse famously led to the monitoring of former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the manufactured attempts to undermine the 2016 election, including a faux impeachment trial that lasted months and wasted countless precious resources. Congress should use the FISA reauthorization process to strengthen First Amendment-related privacy provisions, close loopholes to shield U.S. citizens from the corrosiveness of political influence and deception, and consider alternative options to FISA. The America First Policy Institute published its ideas to reform FISA in July, which were incorporated into the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act.

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