• Domestic surveillance refers to government institutions monitoring its citizens, sometimes by spying illegally. In the United States, the issue has received renewed attention with the advent of the war on terror. In 1978, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) established regulations for acceptable domestic surveillance in the United States.

  Incoming Attorney General Eric Holder has said that he supports some aspects of FISA but not others. A secret federal appeals court ruled on January 15, 2009, that presidents do not need to obtain warrants to "conduct foreign intelligence for national security purposes,." which is fairly clear support of the Bush administration policies allowing warrantless wire-tapping. During his confirmation hearing on the same day, Holder said he would attempt to curb the excesses of the National Security Agency.CNET: Secret court: Warrantless NSA wiretapping fine (January 15, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. 2008: Updated FISA plan was passed by the House on June 20; passed by the Senate on July 9San Fransisco Chronicle: Senate easily passes wiretap bill (July 10, 2008)
  2. House vote was 293-129
  3. Senate vote was 68-29GovTrack: H.R. 6304: FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (Vote On Passage)
  4. Original FISA stipulates that one must obtain a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) before most surveillance activityCornell Law School: US CODE: Title 50,1802
  5. New FISA would allow emergency wiretaps without warrants
  6. After September 11th, George W. Bush issued an executive order authorizing the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct surveillance of certain telephone calls without obtaining a warrant
  7. Congress debated the retroactive immunity of telecommunications companies that aided in Bush's illegal wiretapping
  8. The Protect America Act of 2007 modified FISA to include foreign wiretapping
  9. The Protect America Act expired in February of 2008

• Quotes

  "The House and Senate have competing bills aimed at preventing a lapse in the Protect America Act. They differ mainly on the issue of retroactive immunity for telecom companies that cooperated in government surveillance programs. The House bill does not include such immunity while the Senate bill does." CBS News: House Democrats Move To Extend 'Protect America Act' For 21 Days (February 12, 2008)

  "The White House and Republicans want the temporary surveillance law made permanent. But many Democrats, spurred on by objections from civil liberties and liberal groups, have balked at the administration's demand to add legal immunity for telephone companies, which face dozens of lawsuits over their role in warrantless wiretaps conducted after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." Washingtonpost.com: "Veto of Wiretap Measure Is Threatened" (January 27, 2008)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  NSA | FBI | CIA | The Bush Administration | Protect America Act | FISA | George W. Bush | Dick Cheney | Alberto Gonzales | War on Terror | Al Qaeda | Condoleezza Rice | Colin Powell | Russell Tice | How to Become a Detective | Ashton Lundeby

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