EPIC Statement on Failed Rules Vote on RISAA

Today, the House voted down a rule that would have brought the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA) (H.R.7888), House leadership’s “compromise” bill to reauthorize FISA Section 702, to the House floor tomorrow. This comes after House leadership amended the bill’s base text to exclude a previously agreed-upon amendment to prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from purchasing Americans’ sensitive data.

Jeramie Scott, Senior Counsel and Director of EPIC’s Project on Surveillance Oversight: 

“Today’s failed rule vote underscores what we’ve known for months — the only path to reauthorizing FISA Section 702 is through a bill that significantly reforms warrantless surveillance authorities, including by closing the backdoor search and data broker loopholes.”

EPIC has published a blog series focused on explaining Section 702 and the need to reform it. EPIC and a bipartisan coalition of civil society groups have called for broad reform to Section 702 and related surveillance authorities. Most recently, EPIC has co-authored a letter opposing RISAA’s base text and a document explaining how the bill is crafted to preserve the warrantless surveillance status quo.