Kucinich Opposes FISA Bill That Infringes on Fourth Amendment Rights
Washington,
Mar 14, 2008 -
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) released the following statement regarding his opposition to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008:
“Blanket warrants, institutionalized by the Protect America Act, will continue with the enactment of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. Under this bill surveillance of persons abroad could infringe on the Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. citizens,” Kucinich said.
The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 is the latest version of FISA legislation to be considered by the House of Representatives. Provisions outlining the conditions under which a warrant can be issued are vague. They require no evidence of wrongdoing and contain no explanation of how the information will be collected. The bill also permits warrants of an undefined scope. They do not need to contain details about the facilities, places, premises or property to be searched. These provisions undermine America’s Fourth Amendment rights.
“The Constitution dictates that the government must have cause to spy on U.S. citizens. But this bill ensures that all targeted international communication that the government intercepts is not covered by the Fourth Amendment even if a U.S. citizen is involved.
“This legislation does not include retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies and ensures that the courthouse door remains open, which is an important improvement over past versions of irresponsible FISA legislation. But I cannot support a bill that undermines Constitutional protection of civil liberties.”
“If we permit our constitutional rights to be watered down out of fear, we have given up our democracy. Congress must stand firm and defend the Constitution,” said Kucinich.
###
