Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) released a statement after voting in favor of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America (RISA) Act. The bill shortens the authorization period of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and provides much-needed reforms to the program.
Senator Budd said:
“In order to be a strong nation, we must gather intelligence on foreign adversaries. RISA provides much-needed updates to address past abuses and ensure compliance. The bill included 56 key improvements that reformed U.S. person queries, ensured heightened scrutiny for warrant applications, raised agency accountability standards, enhanced congressional oversight, and increased criminal and civil penalties for violations. RISA also reauthorized Section 702 for only two years, which lets us evaluate the program with a shorter timeline. FISA Section 702 is one of the most important intelligence gathering tools used to defend our country, and it must be preserved. This bill represents a better framework to help keep our country safe.
Background:
FISA Section 702 cannot be used to target:
- U.S. persons, regardless of location.
- Any person located inside the U.S.
- A foreign person located abroad for the purpose of targeting a U.S. person (reverse targeting).
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