THOMPSON VOTES TO ADVANCE LEGISLATION TO END BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA, REFORM FISA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence voted to pass an amended version of H.R. 3361, the USA Freedom Act, out of the Intel Committee. This amended version of the USA Freedom Act unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee yesterday before unanimously passing the Intelligence Committee today.
"Our government has a responsibility to protect people's civil liberties and our national security, and this amended legislation does both," said Thompson. "I look forward to working to pass this bill into law."
Like the bipartisan Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reform legislation co-authored by Thompson, the amended version of the USA Freedom Act, authored by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), ends the bulk collection of call detail records (telephone metadata).
In order to access the data, which is already held by the telecom companies, the government must show there is a reasonable articulable suspicion that the call detail records sought are "relevant to an authorized investigation," and "protect against international terrorism." H.R. 3361 requires pre-judicial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) review of each individually-targeted call detail record.
An amendment offered by Sensenbrenner during the Judiciary Committee's review of the legislation permits the Attorney General to authorize the emergency production of call detail records if an application is presented to the FISC within seven days. If the FISC denies the application, the Government cannot use the results of the production in any proceeding before a court, agency, legislative committee or any other Government entity except in instances of threats of death or seriously bodily harm.
Also included in the legislation is H.R. 3103, Thompson's bipartisan Intelligence Oversight and Accountability Act of 2013.
H.R. 3361 now goes to the House Floor for consideration.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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