Staff Reports
Well, well, well, it seems like even the House Judiciary Committee can agree on something for once. In a hearing on Capitol Hill, the committee members came together to discuss “Fixing FISA” and reign in the government’s repeated violation of Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. It’s a miracle! Maybe Hell really is freezing over.
"Like a Bank Robber Saying, 'We're Hitting Smaller Banks'": Prof. Turley Slams FBI's Celebration of "Only" 200K Illegal Queries https://t.co/b0JSYiJrUp
— RedState (@RedState) July 14, 2023
One of the most noteworthy moments came when Representative Russell Fry questioned George Washington Law Professor Jonathan Turley. Fry pointed out the FBI’s egregious abuse of FISA, spying on Americans without a warrant and engaging in all sorts of Orwellian tactics. And what does the FBI have to say for themselves? They want us to celebrate the fact that they’ve gone from two million illegal search queries to a mere 200,000. That’s like a bank robber saying, “Look, we’re only hitting smaller banks now!” Give me a break.
Professor Turley aptly compared the FBI’s celebration to a bank robber bragging about hitting smaller banks. The problem isn’t the size of the banks they’re robbing, it’s the fact that they’re robbing banks in the first place! Governments, regardless of their form, are always hungry for information. They want to know everything about everyone. It’s an addiction, really. And unless we put strict limits on their snooping, it’s only going to get worse.
But here’s the kicker: the government often includes commercially available information in their FISA applications without disclosing it to the defense. Yeah, you heard that right. They conveniently wrap commercially available data into their requests and then hide it under the FISA umbrella. It’s sneaky and underhanded, but what can you expect from big-government bureaucrats?
Now, what’s the solution to this FISA mess? Professor Turley suggests a simple, yet profound reform. All searches or queries of a U.S. citizen by a U.S. agency must have a warrant or court order. Period. No more loopholes or shady workarounds. It’s time to draw a clear line in the sand and protect Americans’ constitutional rights.
I can only hope that Congress will take Professor Turley’s advice to heart and implement some real reforms. But let’s be real, I’m not holding my breath. Congress has a way of promising change and then conveniently forgetting about it. We, the American people, can’t afford to let them off the hook. It’s time to hold our elected officials accountable and demand that they protect our liberties and put a stop to this rampant abuse of power.
In the meantime, keep an eye on the thermometers in Hell. Who knows, they might just freeze over completely if we keep fighting for our rights.
