Russ Feingold: “this amendment ensures that in implementing the new authorities provided in this bill, the Government is acquiring the…”

“this amendment ensures that in implementing the new authorities provided in this bill, the Government is acquiring the communications of targets in whom it has some foreign intelligence interest and is not conducting bulk collection of all communications between the United States and overseas. This amendment was also approved by the Judiciary Committee. This amendment is necessary because of the vast and overbroad authorities provided by the PAA and this bill. In public testimony, the DNI stated that the PAA would authorize the bulk collection of all communications between the United States and overseas. Now, that could cover every communication between Americans inside the United States and Europe or South America or the entire world. It could also include a communication between Americans overseas and their family and friends back home. This bill is understood to allow the warrantless targeting of a terrorist suspect overseas even when that person is communicating with an American at home. The bill does not simply apply to terrorist suspects, however. It permits warrantless collection of communications between law-abiding Americans and people overseas who are not suspected of doing anything wrong at all. That is a problem that needs to be addressed.”