WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) -- President Bush could face another fight with the U.S. Congress over his plan to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The U.S. Justice Department and U.S. intelligence community officials Monday presented a new bill to the Democrat-controlled 110th Congress recommending changes to FISA. However, the American Civil Liberties Union called on the Congress in a statement Monday "to reject this new attempt to erode the Fourth Amendment and its protections."
"Like the sly fox guarding the hen house, the Justice Department is selling this new bill as a better way to protect our privacy and civil liberties," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.
"Lawmakers should reject such false advertising, Fredrickson said. "FISA has been constantly violated since President Bush authorized warrantless wiretapping and data mining of Americans by the National Security Agency in 2001."
"Congress shouldn't reward a president who continuously disregards the rule of law. FISA has already been amended numerous times. It doesn't need to be 'modernized,' it needs to be followed," she said.
The ACLU carries a lot more weight on Capitol Hill since the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections. And Democrats on Capitol Hill have been showing an increasing willingness to confront the president head-on over national security issues. So the FISA legislation could be in for a rough ride.
