Statement of Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono of Hawai‘i
in the U.S. House of Representatives
In Opposition to the Protect America Act Of 2007
August 4, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to S. 1927. This bill represents a shocking and grave invasion of long-held constitutional rights of American citizens that--until the abuses of this administration--have been regarded as sacrosanct and inviolable. This bill codifies violating the Fourth amendment "right of the people to be secure in their person, homes, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures . . .''
S. 1927 will permit the National Security Agency (NSA) to acquire and analyze all international communications of Americans, without any meaningful judicial oversight. It will allow the NSA to gain warrantless and unchecked access to virtually all international communications of Americans with anyone outside the United States. All the government has to do is to declare that the surveillance was directed at people--which includes foreigners and citizens alike--it ``reasonably believed'' to be located outside the United States. It doesn't have to even target terrorists; all that the government needs to do is to determine that the purpose of the acquisition is to obtain ``foreign intelligence information'' outside the United States. These overly broad definitions covers millions of people--and potentially millions of U.S. citizens--and the purpose need not involve the surveillance of suspected terrorists. We are giving the government, and specifically this administration, entirely too much power.
One of the two people given extraordinary power to authorize these warrantless intrusions into our private communications is the Attorney General of the United States.
Can we be assured that this Attorney General--or any Attorney General for that matter--will have the integrity and sound judgment to faithfully carry out his or her responsibilities in a way which will inflict the least possible harm to the constitutional rights of American citizens?
Can we be assured that each Attorney General who is granted this power will have only the national security in mind, and not any political motivation in exercising his or her extraordinary power?
Mr. Speaker, we Americans don't like governments which spy on their people. This bill allows just that in our own country. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill.
