Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on April 15 that Congress should move to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before it expires in five days.
Section 702 is described as a key tool for national security, responsible for over half of the intelligence included in the president’s daily brief. Grassley said it enables intelligence and law enforcement agencies to prevent attacks, protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats, and disrupt foreign terrorist activities. He added that "Section 702 has saved countless lives in the United States and even abroad."
Grassley discussed reforms made two years ago through the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA), which increased congressional oversight over FISA proceedings. He criticized restrictions imposed by the Justice Department at the end of the previous administration that limited congressional access to surveillance court hearings. Grassley said he worked with Senator Durbin to resolve these issues: "We both recognize that transparency and congressional oversight is not a Republican or Democrat responsibility or issue, but it’s rather a separation of powers issue." He thanked current officials for restoring full oversight rights: "I’m really grateful to the Trump administration and the Department of Justice for revising and repairing the misguided and noncompliant procedures that were written by the previous administration."
Grassley also noted improvements in compliance rates following RISAA reforms: "In the last public audit, the FBI achieved a 99% compliance rate with its U.S. person queries." The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board reported near-total compliance across intelligence agencies.
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Grassley concluded his remarks by saying he would support this year’s reauthorization efforts: "Let’s reauthorize [Section] 702 before it expires."
