by ARI PAUL
The Uniformed Firefighters Association last week blasted the U.S. House of Representatives for not renewing the Protect America Act, a bill that greatly expands the Federal Government's wiretapping and surveillance capabilities.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was updated last year in the form of the Protect America Act, which was set to expire last week. The Senate voted to reauthorize with support from both parties but the House did not vote on it.
'Can't Nullify Key Tool'
"Today, both our allies and enemies use cell phones, the Internet, satellite communications and other sophisticated emerging technologies," UFA President Steve Cassidy said in a statement. "In this age of information, the House leadership cannot allow this valuable tool to fight terrorism to be rendered null and void. Inaction is unacceptable to first-responders and their families, because it is our lives that are put in jeopardy. The House leadership must find a way to effectively permit private citizens and even companies to assist law enforcement in preventing attacks on our citizenry."
The UFA said the original FISA guidelines, which were drafted in the 1970s, had become outmoded. Several civil liberties organizations campaigned against the Protect America Act.
"Fundamentally, it allows for the mass untargeted collection of communications coming into and out of the U.S., without any prior court review and without any finding of wrongdoing whatsoever," said Michelle Richardson, a legislative consultant at the American Civil Liberties Union.
She added that FISA has in fact been modified dozens of times since its inception, and the provisions of the Protect America Act did not lead to the capture of terrorists.
'Stop Tapping Citizens'
"Nobody's asking the government to stop wiretapping terrorists," Ms. Richardson said. "We're asking it to stop wiretapping Americans and ask them to involve the courts. That's been a workable framework for 30 years."
Several high-ranking Congressional Democrats spoke about their inaction on the bill.
"The President is misrepresenting the facts on our nation's electronic surveillance capabilities," U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Feb. 15 in a statement. "Last August, he insisted that Congress pass the Protect America Act; but this week, he refused to support an extension, which can only mean he knows our intelligence agencies will be able to do all the wiretapping they need to do to protect the nation."
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