[RP TownTalk] Mikulski on Telecom Immunity

[Lisa Grob]

Our senator explains her stance on the bill.

 

Lisa

 

From: senator at mikulski.senate.gov [mailto:senator at mikulski.senate.gov] 
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 1:33 PM
To: lisagrob at verizon.net
Subject: Re: www_email

 

  

Dear Ms. Grob: 

  

Thank you for getting in touch with me to express your concerns about the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I appreciate learning of your
views about this important matter . 

  

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am very aware that
terrorists plan and intend to harm the United States and the American
people. I hear about these threats every day - and I take them very
seriously. Yet I agree with you - that even as our nation faces new threats,
Constitutional prote ctions must be safeguarded. 

  

The FISA Act was created in 1978 to regulate how electronic surveillance was
conducted in the United States . This law needs to be updated to account for
changes in communications technology over the last thirty years. 

  

That's why I voted for a bipartisan bill that updates a number of pr oblems
with the existing law. This new legislation (S. 2248) strengthens national
security while protecting civil liberties. The bill also strengthens the
role of the FISA Court by requiring greater judicial review and improves
oversight and accountability of the entire FISA proces s. The Senate passed
S. 2248 by a vote of 68 - 29 on February 12, 2008. One key provision I
fought to include in this bill was a requirement that a warrant must be
approved by the FISA Court to monitor a U.S. person anywhere in the world.
This new protection means that the Constitution travels with you - even
beyond the borders of the United States . 

  

I understand your concerns about providing limited liability protection to
telecommunication companies who assisted the government's efforts to disrupt
terrorist plots in the days following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
While the Bush Administration wanted full retroactive immunity for these
companies and any White House employee or government official involved in
the warrantless wiretapping program, S. 2248 provides a more narro w,
focused, and limited liability protection . I strongly supported an
amendment offered by Senator Feinstein that would have required the FISA
Court to determine if liability protection should be afforded to these
telecommunications companies. Unfortunately, that amendment failed to get
enough votes to become part of the bill. 

  

When the Senate debated this bill, I supported this protection because those
companies were acting in good faith under assurances from the President and
the Attorney General that what they were being asked to do was legal. You
should know that I also support holding accountable those Bush
Administration officials who disregarded the law under the President's
secret wiretapping program. 

  

I have heard from many Marylanders on this important issue and I appreciate
hearing of your concerns. While we may disagree on some parts of this
reform, we both share the same goal of strengthen ing national security
while protecting our civil liberties . 

  

    Again, thanks for keeping in touch with me. Please let me know if I may
be of assistance to you in the future. 


Sincerely, 
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator 


P.S. If I can be of further assistance in the future,
please visit my website at http://mikulski.senate.gov
or call my Washington D.C. office at 202-224-4654 

 

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