Schakowsky Votes for Bill to Modernize and Enchance Foreign Intelligence Surveillance

SCHAKOWSKY VOTES FOR BILL TO MODERNIZE AND ENCHANCE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, joined a bipartisan majority today to vote for the Responsible Electronic Surveillance That is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective (RESTORE) Act of 2007. The RESTORE Act, which passed the House by a vote of 227-189, amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence.

Congresswoman Schakowsky delivered the following remarks in support of the legislation on the House floor minutes before the bill was approved.

"Thank you Mr./Madame Speaker.

I rise in support of H.R. 3773, because I believe that the way we conduct the fight against terrorism says a great deal about who we are as a people. I want to keep the country safe from terrorism and to provide the necessary tools to our intelligence community. But I am not willing to sacrifice who we are and what we stand for just because this President of says so.

The RESTORE Act is an important step to restore the rule of law to the world of surveillance. We will no longer have to accept being told by this Administration — "Trust me....

The Protect America Act tried to cut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court out of the process. The RESTORE Act puts the Court back in. Now, the Court, not the President, will decide whether the Constitutional and legal requirements are met. This is a critical step in protecting the rights of Americans.

Under the RESTORE Act, the Court will also be called to assess, in advance, a program of surveillance that may intercept the communications of Americans. The Court will ensure that the system the NSA establishes will protect the rights of any Americans they come across.

The RESTORE Act also clarifies that the Protect America Act cannot be used to conduct secret searches of American's homes, businesses, computers and medical records. It reiterates the exclusivity of FISA — which should put an end to secret, warrantless spying programs. It makes clear that the President has to obey the laws.

The RESTORE Act also calls for serious and meaningful reporting to the Congress about the warrantless surveillance programs that have occurred since September 11, 2001. It will require meaningful oversight by the Department of Justice Inspector General and the Congress in the future.

The RESTORE Act represents a vast improvement over the legal structure we have today, and over the one we had a year ago. It will make America safer, and it keeps us true to who we are as a nation. I urge my colleagues to vote yes. I yield back the balance of my time."