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PORTLAND:
729 N.E. Oregon Street
Suite 115
Portland, OR 97232
t: (503) 231-2300
f: (503) 230-5413
WASHINGTON D.C.:
2267 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
t: (202) 225-4811
f: (202) 225-8941
| No Immunity for Telecom Companies |
| Friday, 14 March 2008 | |
|
Mr. Speaker, over the past few months, we've had a lot of back and
forth on this issue. For those who have been at the table, I want to
express my appreciation for your hard work and the quality of your
debate. I am proud of the fortitude displayed by the Speaker and the
Intelligence Committee during this process: There will be no blanket
immunity for telecom companies, there will be a two-year sunset, and
there will be a commission to thoroughly investigate this
administration's shameful wiretapping program. For the past seven years I have been highly critical of Republican wiretapping legislation. I have voted against past efforts to expand the ability of this administration to intrude in the lives and privacy of innocent citizens. Most recently, I supported the expiration of the Protect America Act because I am confident that the dedicated members of the intelligence community do not need to violate the rights of Americans in order to protect them. The bill before us will not solve every potential abuse of FISA, but it does provide stronger legal protections for Americans and introduces a measure of oversight. As this issue continues to play out into the future, it is my hope that our next steps will include even stronger protections for innocent Americans, clearer legal standards for FISA to judge surveillance procedures, and explicit requirements for the destruction of unnecessary data. |
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