Southwest Montana News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) took a strong stance against H.R. 7888, The Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, by voting against the reauthorization of The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Rep. Rosendale made it clear that his decision was motivated by a desire to protect Americans' privacy and uphold their constitutional rights.

In a statement following the vote, Rep. Rosendale expressed his deep concerns about the implications of the legislation. "What we witnessed today was a complete violation of the trust of the American people," he remarked. The congressman highlighted the irony of FISA being expanded to allow surveillance on American citizens, contrary to its intended purpose of foreign intelligence gathering.

Rep. Rosendale also brought attention to the alarming number of violations that have occurred under FISA. "We've actually had the FBI admit to 260,000 violations of this surveillance act, and it continues on," he stated. The congressman emphasized the need for safeguards to prevent such breaches of privacy.

During the voting process, Rep. Rosendale and others attempted to introduce an amendment that would require the surveillance community to obtain warrants before conducting operations on American citizens. However, the amendment was rejected by Congress. "As we tried to pass an amendment to require the surveillance community to get warrants before they conducted these types of operations on American citizens, Congress killed the amendment, and then they just passed the bill," Rep. Rosendale lamented.

Rep. Rosendale's vote against the reauthorization of FISA reflects his commitment to defending the privacy and rights of American citizens in the face of expanding surveillance powers.