DeGette Statement On Fisa Extension

WASHINGTON, DC – Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette (D-CO) today releasedthe following statement as she voted in favor of a 21-day extension ofthe Protect America Act, which addresses the Foreign IntelligenceSurveillance Act (FISA):

"We need to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in a waythat strikes the proper balance between protecting Americans fromterrorists and protecting our civil liberties. In November of lastyear, I supported a strong House bill – the RESTORE Act – that improvedthe current law.

"However, the Senate took a different approach. In particular, theSenate bill provides blanket retroactive immunity to telecommunicationscompanies who allegedly cooperated with the Bush Administration'swarrantless wiretapping program. I strenuously oppose this provision.

"The three-week extension would have allowed Congress to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions."

The bill that provided for this three week extension failed to pass the House of Representatives on a vote of 191 to 229.