Quigley Statement on FISA Reauthorization

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who served eight years on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement on the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

“In my eight years on the House Intelligence Committee, I witnessed firsthand the role that FISA has played in ensuring our security. Now, thanks to those in Congress who are eager to disrupt proceedings, its existence is in jeopardy.

“Unsurprisingly, the trail leads right back to the former president's ego and selfishness. When Donald Trump was president, he proudly claimed he would prefer a permanent FISA reauthorization. Now, he explicitly directed his congressional supporters to kill it. He would rather knowingly imperil the nation and its people than see President Biden sign FISA into law and keep us safe. This is nothing more than another desperate ploy to derail the success of the Biden Administration for his own personal gain.

“We should be focused on the real tasks at hand: Keeping Americans safe and protecting our democracy. As hostilities in Eastern Europe and the Middle East intensify, the need for FISA reauthorization is more dire than ever. Congress has a sacred duty to protect our nation from those who wish us harm and FISA is fundamental to that mission. It’s time for extremists in Congress and at Mar-a-Lago to end their selfish crusade against FISA and put America’s safety first.”