Hank Johnson: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the reauthorization of section 702 of the Foreign…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the reauthorization of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was first passed by Congress in 2008. FISA codified what had been a secret and legally unauthorized practice of warrantless collection of phone, email, and other communications of non-U.S. persons located outside of the United States in response to the deadly 9/11 attack that killed thousands of Americans. As they planned that deadly attack, al-Qaida plotters used U.S. communications facilities, and American foreign intelligence picked up the chatter. However, the stovepipe that kept this intel from domestic law enforcement created the situation where domestic law enforcement could not protect us from the threat because they did not know of the plot before it happened. If section 702 had been in place prior to 9/ 11, the FBI could have been able to prevent the attack. Additionally, allowing section 702 to expire would expose Americans to grave danger, like the horrific massacre of Israeli Jews on October 7; the military style assaults, for example, that happened in Russia recently; and other mass-casualty events, the limits of which are only limited by the depravity of those who would plan them. Mr. Chair, that is why I rise in support of this legislation.”