Jayapal, Davidson Bipartisan Statement on Privacy Protections for Americans
WASHINGTON – Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Representative Warren Davidson (OH-08) issued the following statement on the anniversary of the March 15, 2020, expiration of Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act and two other PATRIOT Act provisions:
“Three years ago, we were proud to lead bipartisan efforts fighting warrantless surveillance of Americans under Section 215. As we recognize the anniversary of this victory, we remain committed to working together to end warrantless surveillance programs. Today, programs operating under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and claims of inherent executive authority remain a threat to Americans’ constitutional right to privacy.
“Since the last reauthorization of Section 702 in 2018, we’ve learned that the FBI conducts backdoor searches about Americans at an alarming scale. We cannot stand by while Section 702 surveillance and other spying programs carelessly violate Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. We are pleased to hear our colleagues on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence say a clean reauthorization of Section 702 is a non-starter. We must take this opportunity to reform Section 702 and overhaul privacy protections for Americans so that they truly protect the civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy rights that are foundational to our democracy.”