Congressman Jim Davis Opposes Electronic Surveillance Bill

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, Congressman Jim Davis voted against H.R. 5825, the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, which would allow the President and his Administration to continue to monitor the international phone calls and emails of hundreds of people in this country without warrants. 

 

H.R. 5825 would dramatically expand the President’s authority to conduct surveillance and gather foreign intelligence within the United States without the judicial approval required under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). 

 

“FISA was carefully designed to strike a delicate balance between the need for strong and effective security measures and the protection of the individual freedoms of U.S. citizens,” said Congressman Davis.  “FISA has and should continue to be updated and amended, but instead, H.R. 5825 sidesteps the FISA court altogether by severely broadening the President’s authority to conduct electronic surveillance on Americans without seeking the court’s approval.”

 

H.R. 5825 passed by a vote of 232 to 191.