NSA WIRETAPPING

In 2002, the President authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor the international phone calls and emails of hundreds of people in this country without warrants to track possible links to al-Qaida terrorists.  Furthermore, the President renewed the eavesdropping program more than three dozen times since its inception. 

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) sought to strike a balance between national security issues and civil liberties.  Specifically, FISA was designed to curb the President’s use of warrantless electronic surveillance while permitting surveillance to obtain foreign intelligence information. It is important to note that FISA does provide a means by which the government can obtain approval to conduct electronic surveillance of a foreign power or its agents without having to prove that the person or persons in question have committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime.  Additionally, FISA, under specific circumstances, allows for electronic surveillance without a court order to gather foreign intelligence.

I believe the NSA wiretapping issue should be fully explored by an independent panel to determine whether these actions violated the constitutional rights of Americans and to determine whether the laws governing intelligence activities need to be changed. Any reforms should focus on restoring a healthy balance between the need for strong and effective security measures and the protection of the individual freedoms of U.S. citizens.