The battle over FISA 702 reauthorization continues. A bipartisan coalition of reformers continue to press to introduce a warrant requirement and close the data broker loophole. Surveillance hawks continue to press for reauthorization without any meaningful reforms. In April, 42 Democrats joined the majority of House Republicans in passed a three-year authorization without meaningful reforms — boooooo!!!!! Fortunately the Senate said no, and so at the last moment they passed a 45-day extension. With only ten days left, time’s running out to come to agreement — or let the statute lapse.
It’s important to realize that the June 12 “deadline” is fake: FISA certifications have already been renewed until March 2027 even if Congress doesn’t act. But the closer we get to midterm elections, the less time and energy Congress wants to spend on a polarizing issue like FISA. So reformers have a lot of leverage now, and proposed reform legislation including the GSRA, SAFE Act and Protect Liberty Act has bipartisans support. But there’s also a lot of pressure on Congress to pass something.
Which means that s a great time to contact your legislators! This is a situation where calls are likely to have a lot more impact than emails; you can use the US Capitol switchboard at 202-224-312, call your legislators office directly. or use calling tools from Indivisible and QuitGPT if you prefer. Both the House and Senate will be voting, so please call your Representative as well as your Senator.
Here’s a simple script.
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City, State]. I am calling today to ask that reject any extension to FISA Section 702 unless it includes key bipartisan reforms: closing requiring a warrant and closing the data broker loophole. Please do not be fooled by fake reforms that simply restate existing law, and please stop passing short-term extensions that delay real reform. Instead, support real reform like the GSRA — which has bipartisan support in both chambers.
Get FISA Right 