FISA is wrongly being used against Americans, not foreign threats

To the editor:

Wake up to the dangers of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Section 702 is up for congressional reauthorization before the end of the year. Congress must stand for Fourth Amendment and stop the FBI and NSA violations of personal rights to privacy by passing Senator Rand Paulj;s bill S.3372 to abolish FISA. Question our weak and suspect Congress that jeopardize these inherent rights to protection from federal abuse. Ask: was this unconstitutional Orwellian Act propagated and sold to the Congress and the American electorate as a true effort to monitor foreign agents as its name implied? Or was it a serious criminal intent to betray the constitutional protection of the 4th Amendment and authorize federal abuse of power?

Whatever the intent, the fact remains, the criminal purpose resulted in taking away the blessing of security that our people have because of the Fourth Amendment. FISA infringes this Amendments' protection, crucial to liberty, that in essence demands," ... the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures without warrant."

The JBS.ORG, Federal Legislation Alert -- why we need to pass the "Stop FISA Reauthorization --- Support The Fourth Amendment Restoration & Protection Act," (S.3372) introduced by Senator Rand Paul, gives us a small sample of what life would be like without the Fourth Amendment:

"FISA was purportedly enacted to help protect against terrorist attacks, but it is rampantly being used by the government -- including the FBI and NSA -- to spy on American citizens in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment. For example, in 2021 alone, the FBI ran about 3 million "U.S. person queries" using Section 702. Tellingly, FBI Director Christopher Wray is vocally opposing any requirements to obtain a warrant."

Friends of liberty at the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), established in 2007 tell us that federal surveillance bosses practice a shameful brand of patriotism with these violations of the peoples' right to be secure: "Significant privacy and civil liberties risks also include the scope of permissible targeting, NSA's new approach to upstream collection, a new sensitive collection technique that presented novel and significant legal issues approved by the FISC (Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court) 2022,..." Furthermore, it is well known that FISC's overseeing of requests for warrants lack transparency, constitutional due-process protection, and they fail to hold federal agencies accountable.

Help stop the federal surveillance of private citizens and prevent attacks on political opponents by the current administration. If President Trumps' rights can be violated, who is next? The power of "We the People" must speak. Educate yourself by going to JBS.ORG. source, The John Birch Society, having stood the test of time, is the most powerful weapon to counteract this imminent tyranny. Join with us and tell Congress you cherish your inherent right that your home is your castle and demand they cosponsor S.3372.

- Russ Payne,