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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Email:,press@demandprogress.org

Statement on FBI Director Wray's Testimony at HJC Oversight Hearing

Today, FBI Director Wray testified at an oversight hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing comes after shocking reports of unlawful abuse of surveillance conducted under Section 702, the controversial warrantless surveillance authority that is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2023. Given this timeline, Congress has a critical opportunity to address warrantless surveillance of Americans.

In response, Demand Progress Senior Policy Counsel Sean Vitka issued the following statement:

"This hearing made clear that we have a once-in-a-generation, bipartisan opportunity to comprehensively protect Americans from warrantless surveillance. Shielding Americans' privacy from this threat is the most bipartisan issue in Congress right now. During the hearing, Democratic leaders like Representatives Jayapal and Lofgren and Republican Representatives Cline and McClintock showed that this year's fight over Section 702 must include a robust debate about all warrantless surveillance that impacts privacy in the United States.

"Congress must seize this moment to fix Section 702 and address warrantless domestic spying more broadly. In particular, Congress must stop government agents from having warrantless, turnkey access to lists of people who have visited reproductive health clinics, places of worship, and protests — precisely the kind of information that data brokers are selling. Government agencies, local to federal, are rapidly expanding their exploitation of this Data Broker Loophole, and now is the time to act."


Recently disclosed abuses include over 278,000 unlawful searches of raw FISA-acquired information, including for information about 19,000 Congressional donors, Black Lives Matter protestors, January 6 suspects, as well as a sitting member of Congress, a "local political party," "multiple current and former United States Government officials, journalists, and political commentators," and more. Additional details are available here.

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