Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
10/10/2007
Pelosi Statement on Judiciary and Intelligence Committees Passing FISA Reform Bill
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following
statement today after the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees each
approved a bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):
“The Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have approved a
bill to restore constitutional checks and balances to the way electronic
surveillance is used to gather intelligence.
The RESTORE Act gives the government all the tools necessary to acquire
under the law the intelligence that can keep our country safe.
“At the same time, the bill protects the privacy of
Americans by putting the FISA court back in business and assuring strong
oversight of surveillance activities by Congress. The two committees also reaffirmed Congress’
constitutional role by refusing to consider granting retroactive immunity to
companies that participated in the President’s warrantless surveillance
programs until the Administration has provided Congress with full information
about those programs.
“We can and must protect and defend the Constitution as we protect and defend the American people.”