House Democrats introduced the RESTORE Act today.
This would amend the hastily-enacted, short-term update of the FISA law that Congress passed in August (with Democratic complicity) called the Protect America Act that gave Bush far too much unchecked power of warrentless wiretaps and surveillance.
The RESTORE Act:
* Restores court oversight of intelligence by requiring that electronic surveillance programs be approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court
* Mandates that FISA warrants be obtained when the administration wants to undertake surveillance of persons in the US
* No retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that cooperated with the administration’s warrantless surveillance
* Does not require individual warrants when targets are reasonably believed to be abroad
* Ensures FISA is the exclusive means of electronic surveillance and that no modifications can be made without express legal authorization
and (Bush will never go for this)
* requires the Justice Department to reveal the details of all electronic surveillance conducted without court orders since 9/11.
Overall, IMO, the bill could be stronger, but at least it provides greater protection of civil liberties than the current Protect America Act and definetly provides much greater oversight of the Pres by Congress and the FISA courts.
I expect we'll hear the Bush veto threat any second now and the battle will become another election year showdown
Just to recap....
The Responsible Electronic Surveillance that is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective (RESTORE) Act amends the Protect America Act, which amended the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act which amended the Foreign Intelligenct Surveillance (FISA) Act.