Protect America Act

The Protect America Act (Pub.L. 110-55, S. 1927) was signed into law by George W. Bush on August 5, 2007. It modifies the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to allow wiretapping without a warrant in cases where the target of the surveillance is outside of the United States.Wired: New Law Gives Government Six Months to Turn Internet... (August 6, 2007)

The White House website explains: "The Protect America Act Modernizes The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) To Give Intelligence Professionals The Tools They Urgently Need To Gather Information About Our Enemies, While Protecting The Civil Liberties Of Americans."WhiteHouse.gov: Fact Sheet: The Protect America Act of 2007

On July 9, 2008 U.S. Congress passed a bill to amend the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by a vote of 69-28, putting an end to a more than year-long debate over surveillance laws. The amendment expands the government's eavesdropping capabilities and grants immunity to telecom companies who participated in post-9/11 wiretapping.The Herald Bulletin: Senate OK's telecom bill (July 9, 2008)

• Wired: Threat Level: Protect America Act Debate: Truth or Fear Mongering? (February 15, 2008)
• Antiwar.com: Protect America from the Protect America Act by Ron Paul (February 1, 2008)
  • Statement made by Rep. Paul on the House floor
• YouTube: Russ Feingold on the New FISA Legislation (Time 0:34)
• Salon.com: Glenn Greenwald: Amnesty Day for Bush and lawbreaking telecoms (February 12, 2008)
• Emptywheel: FISA: On to the House (February 12, 2008)
• WSJ.com: Listening to the Enemy (January 28, 2008)
• The New York Times: "Help Me Spy on Al Qaeda" (December 10, 2007)
• The Nation: Data-Mining Our Liberties (August 7, 2007)
• Reason Magazine: The Surveillance Scam (February 7, 2008)

• NSA
  • Wikipedia: NSA warrantless surveillance controversy

• George W. Bush
  • CNN: Bush urges House to follow Senate lead on surveillance (February 13, 2008)
  • WashingtonPost.com: "Bush Authorized Domestic Spying" (2005)