Along with Tulsi Gabbard, who now serves as Director of National Intelligence, three Republican members of Congress were surveilled by the now-defunct TSA “Quiet Skies” program, independent journalist Matt Taibbi <a href="https://www.racket.news/p/not-only-tulsi-three-members-of-congress">reported</a> on Tuesday.
According to documents handed over to the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, two of the three Republican representatives were placed on a surveillance list before they were elected, but remained there after joining Congress. According to the Senate committee’s notes, “a cursory review would have revealed them to be a member of Congress, or a decorated U.S. veteran or service member,” Taibbi reported.
The names of the members of Congress and the states they represent were redacted in the government documents.
The TSA’s “Quiet Skies” program, which began in 2010, came under intense scrutiny last year after whistleblowers revealed that Gabbard — then a former Democratic congresswoman who was highly critical of the Democratic Party — was followed by Air Marshals and bomb-sniffing dogs under the TSA program. “Quiet Skies” was ended by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in June. Noem <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/05/secretary-noem-ends-politicized-tsa-watchlist-program-has-failed-prevent-single">said</a>, “It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration — weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends.”
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The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee also revealed that TSA approved a watchlist, or “enhanced screening,” for people “suspected of traveling to the National Capital Region” in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The watchlist was deemed appropriate for people “believed to pose an elevated risk” but for whom “there is a current lack of specific information relating to unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol.”
Gabbard was surveilled on at least eight flights during the summer of 2024, according to documents handed over to the committee. The former Democratic lawmaker was listed as a “possible affiliate” of a member of the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB). According to The New York Times, Gabbard landed on the list after she attended an event “at the Vatican that was organized by a European businessman who appeared on an F.B.I. watch list.”
A text exchange between Marshals assigned to follow Gabbard from July 22, 2024, also pointed to the TSDB as the reason that Gabbard was placed on the list.
“So Gabbard is an affiliate with a TSDB, and since she’s no longer in Congress that’s probably why she hit for the rule,” one Marshal wrote.
“Yeah I talked with [redacted] about it and that’s the conclusion we came to as well,” a second Marshal replied.
“Cool cool.”
One former Marshal, however, told Taibbi that the decision to place Gabbard on the list wasn’t necessarily made by an automated database.
“Obviously, there is a way for human beings to influence the decision tree above our level,” the former Marshal said.
Taibbi testified before the Senate committee on Tuesday and ripped the federal government’s “Quiet Skies” surveillance program.
“Before Quiet Skies was discontinued by this administration, it was a symbol of the steep decline of federal enforcement since 9/11. The government spent $200 million a year following up to 50 people a day for a program that in its history never once led to an arrest, or thwarted a single criminal act,” Taibbi told the committee. “Despite its demonstrated inutility and grave civil liberties concerns it was re-funded year after year because this is what our government does now: it gathers information on its own citizens as an end in itself.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The full opening statement of <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mtaibbi</a> <a href="https://t.co/NJ2fRqNeWX">https://t.co/NJ2fRqNeWX</a> <a href="https://t.co/TaGBhBfYY1">pic.twitter.com/TaGBhBfYY1</a>
— Emily Chapple (@blonde4thewin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blonde4thewin/status/1973065367527260667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

TSA, Tulsi Gabbard

Three GOP Congress Members Were Placed Under TSA Surveillance Program That Targeted Tulsi Gabbard

Congress

Federal Government

Politics

Republicans

Surveillance

Tulsi Gabbard

With amazement, we saw how Ukraine and Israel embedded drones inside enemy territories, lying in wait until the time was right to turn them into weapons of war — all controlled remotely. This very strategic foundation is being laid throughout rooftops across America’s cities.
Drones are proliferating around the world for every imaginable use, from public safety, infrastructure inspection, delivery services, and, of course, for warfare. Cameras are getting better, flight times are increasing, and costs are coming down. These alluring trends are not slowing. Technological breakthroughs hold great promise for Americans to grow our economy and protect our nation.
While technological breakthroughs are typically created for the betterment of mankind, nefarious ideas often follow. The Wright brothers never imagined that their creation would one day be used to fly into buildings and intentionally kill over 3,000 people in one morning.
Most of the drones used in the United States are made by companies serving our main geopolitical rival, the People&#8217;s Republic of China. About <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/06/15/could-this-made-in-the-usa-drone-company-beat-dji/?msockid=2a1c322aee106f4a0b782763ef026e1a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-quarters of the American drone market</a> is dominated by Chinese-made drones, meaning there are roughly <a href="https://www.faa.gov/node/54496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">700,000 Chinese drones</a> flying over our country already. As the number of Chinese drones in our airspace continues to increase by the day, the potential threat to our safety and our privacy is only growing. It’s not just Chinese drones in our skies; it’s Chinese-made drone docks on our public and private rooftops, continually networked, albeit sold and installed by American companies.
<div id="attachment_955795" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-955795" class="wp-image-955795 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-864x576.jpg" alt="A SZ DJI Technology Co. drone inside the company's Dock 2 on display during the Shanghai International Low-Altitude Economy &amp; UAV System Technology Expo in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. The expo runs through Nov. 30. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images.</div>
If anyone thinks that this is paranoid or excessive, remember that in China, there is effectively no such thing as a private sector. Chinese drone companies — like all other Chinese companies — are ultimately answerable to the Chinese Communist Party.
Across American cities, many drone docking stations are made by the Chinese company Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Ltd, commonly known as DJI. These <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwUwgpqgcMA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJI docks</a> are being installed at our public safety departments as &#8216;Drone as First Responder&#8217; (DFR) programs. These drone stations connect online 24/7 and can launch autonomously, thus offering real-time video surveillance. While DFR is a powerful and promising innovation in public safety, concern arises when it’s implemented using DJI systems — technology the Department of Defense classifies as Chinese military hardware. Because these systems require persistent connectivity, unlike manually flown drones, they create the perfect vector for foreign surveillance or disruption. In fact, there is evidence, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security, that the Chinese government is already using drones to spy on us.
The first responder programs, when done right, expedite emergency reactions and enhance safety, however, when performed by adversarial military hardware, it amounts to a foreign surveillance on our communities. Unfortunately, a growing number of our public safety departments are adopting drone programs that include DJI military hardware docking stations.
China has already been caught deploying unlisted technologies capable of surveilling Americans within Chinese-made <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar panels</a>. It is not farfetched to imagine them using their drone dominance to do the same thing — and on a massive scale. With <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinas-buildup-of-the-surveillance-state-intelligence-matters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400 million cameras</a>, China also dominates the world’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50348861" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveillance camera market</a>. The idea of our country’s main rival cornering both markets within our own country has been alarming for leaders in Congress and the Pentagon alike.
Recognizing the security risks associated with Chinese drones, President Trump issued a significant Executive Order (EO) advancing American leadership in drone technology. His EO is aimed at “unleashing American drone dominance” and “restoring American airspace sovereignty.” For similar national security concerns, in May of 2019, President Trump prohibited U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei, a Chinese surveillance camera company, without government approval.
Following President Trump’s lead, State and local governments have the authority to prohibit the purchase of new Chinese-manufactured drones and docks. American-made alternatives are a clear national security priority. Our modern emergency response systems should not be an intelligence gatherer or a potential saboteur for our main adversary.
This is not about fear as much as it is about foresight. Replacing Chinese drone docks with American systems is a matter of basic sovereignty, security, and common sense. Our skies should serve us, not the Chinese Communist Party.
* * *
Brad Wenstrup is a former six-term republican congressman from Ohio who served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. A doctor of podiatric medicine, Wenstrup also served as a U.S. Army Reserve officer and is a recipient of the Bronze Star.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Group of drones against sunset sky

Enemy Overhead: How Chinese Drones Are Quietly Claiming American Airspace

China

Drones

Espionage

National Security

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> overcame one last remaining hurdle on Monday to approve a bill that would reauthorize Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a>, a spy tool that proponents say is critical to protecting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national security</a>, and send it to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> before the foreign data collection authorities sunset at the end of this week.
Lawmakers voted <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseDailyPress/status/1780009090309116337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">259-128</a> to table a motion to reconsider the legislation that was introduced right after the chamber passed it on Friday. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fisa-warrant-requirement-gets-last-ditch-revival-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last-ditch effort</a> to stave off the bill was spearheaded by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who urged colleagues to join in her in demanding a warrant requirement to address concerns about FISA abuse and privacy.
Luna sent a letter to Republicans and Democrats, rallying support for her cause. She made a specific appeal to the 56 members who voted to pass the FISA bill after supporting the amendment from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) that would <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">place limits on</a> officials being able to do U.S. person searches in the information that gets swept up in foreign surveillance without a warrant.
The amendment proved to be a contentious proposition that spilled across party lines. It narrowly failed to pass in a <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">212-212 tie vote</a> on Friday with support from hardline Republicans and leftist Democrats. Luna wanted it to get a second chance. Lawmakers &#8220;must fight to get the Biggs Amendment adopted in the final passage of this legislation,&#8221; Luna said in her letter.
House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), who was the lawmaker who led the push to defeat Luna&#8217;s motion to reconsider the bill, has been a vocal advocate for reauthorizing Section 702 without the warrant requirement. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnLwv_zuTA4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News on Sunday that Section 702 &#8220;must continue&#8221; while insisting that American lives were at stake.
The House <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 273-147 on Friday, after the amendment failed, to extend authorities the U.S. government uses to <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/icotr/Section702-Basics-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gather electronic communications information</a> on non-U.S. citizens abroad and deter threats to the homeland. The legislation, which got bipartisan support, would renew Section 702 for another two years and implement reforms to FISA.
Now, with the matter of Luna&#8217;s objection settled, the bill heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1776255027432095818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> lawmakers &#8220;must act quickly on a bipartisan basis to ensure these vital national security authorities do not lapse.&#8221; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell/status/1779990079479636093" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> for FISA authorities to be maintained.
They have until April 19 to extend Section 702 before it expires. A couple members of the upper chamber, including Sens. <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1778807093870403608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Lee (R-UT)</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1779535984457077073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul (R-KY)</a>, spoke out in favor of passing the warrant amendment to protect the Fourth Amendment.
The White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SAP-H.R.-7888-FISA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supports</a> reauthorization but rejected the warrant requirement, saying in a statement that the amendment from Biggs would &#8220;prohibit U.S. officials from reviewing critical information that the Intelligence Community has already lawfully collected, with exceptions that are exceedingly narrow and unworkable in practice.&#8221;
Initially, the FISA bill offered a five-year extension to Section 702, but it got whittled down to two years after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-blocks-fisa-spy-bill-opponents-demand-warrant-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to advance earlier last week. The shortened window will allow President Joe Biden or whatever administration may succeed him next year the chance to seek a FISA shakeup.
Former President Donald Trump, who is running for another White House tern, had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> lawmakers to &#8220;KILL FISA&#8221; and said it was used to spy on his campaign. He was alluding to the FBI&#8217;s controversial efforts to get warrants to snoop on a 2016 campaign aide under a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4463961-house-unveils-warrantless-surveillance-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different part of FISA, Section 701</a>, using an unverified dossier.
Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1778076099651444805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> the FISA bill, called the Reforming Intelligence And Securing America Act, implements reforms that would “actually kill the abuses” directed at Trump’s 2016 campaign. The speaker met with Trump on Friday. During a joint press conference, Trump said he&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1778900252684378474" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;not a big fan of FISA,&#8221;</a> but added he told &#8220;everybody&#8221; to do what they want with it.

House Intel Chair Mike Turner

House Overcomes Final Hurdle To Send FISA Reauthorization Bill To Senate

FISA

Mike Turner

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

The GOP lawmaker who objected to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-pass-fisa-reauthorization-but-theres-a-catch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final passage</a> of a bill that would reauthorize Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a> is urging colleagues to join her in an eleventh-hour push to stop it unless one major change is made.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sent out a letter to Republicans and Democrats this weekend urging them to oppose the reauthorization legislation, at least until a warrant requirement is added to address concerns about FISA abuse and privacy.
&#8220;The fight for taking down the unconstitutional FISA is not over,&#8221; Luna <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1779237542233071622" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The fight for taking down the unconstitutional FISA is not over. There is another vote on Monday! I have sent this letter to all Republicans, and we are sending it to all Democrats. We need 218 to stand with us against the unconstitutional surveillance of Americans. <a href="https://t.co/TKe59Rvf8d">pic.twitter.com/TKe59Rvf8d</a>
&mdash; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1779237542233071622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;There is another vote on Monday! I have sent this letter to all Republicans, and we are sending it to all Democrats,&#8221; Luna added. &#8220;We need 218 to stand with us against the unconstitutional surveillance of Americans.&#8221;
Luna&#8217;s letter touted an amendment from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) that would add a <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for government officials wanting to do U.S. person searches in the information that gets swept up in foreign surveillance.
The amendment has already proven to be a contentious proposition that spilled across party lines, with opponents arguing that it could <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel/status/1778831812069851607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jeopardize national security</a>. It narrowly failed to pass in a <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">212-212 tie vote</a>.
&#8220;The majority of Republicans voted for my warrant requirement amendment,&#8221; Biggs <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1778853835059905008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;86 voted with the Deep State. We need Republicans in Congress who believe that you shouldn&#8217;t be surveilled by your federal government.&#8221;
While the Biden administration supports the reauthorization bill, which would extend Section 702 for two years and implement some FISA reforms, it has pushed back against the warrant requirement idea.
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The amendment would &#8220;prohibit U.S. officials from reviewing critical information that the Intelligence Community has already lawfully collected, with exceptions that are exceedingly narrow and unworkable in practice,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SAP-H.R.-7888-FISA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement.</a>
Congress and Biden have until April 19 to extend Section 702 before it sunsets.
Luna made a specific appeal to the 56 members who voted to pass the FISA bill after supporting the amendment from Biggs. She asked them to oppose Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner&#8217;s (R-OH) motion to table her motion to reconsider the bill.
Lawmakers &#8220;must fight to get the Biggs Amendment adopted in the final passage of this legislation,&#8221; Luna said.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)

FISA Warrant Requirement Gets Last-Ditch Revival Push

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> voted on Friday to pass a bill that would reauthorize Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a> ahead of its expiration deadline next week, but the legislation has one final hurdle to pass before going to the Senate.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), one of the members demanding a warrant requirement, objected to the final passage and <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1778833539653423594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sought a vote</a> on a motion to reconsider. Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) moved to table it, but a recorded vote was postponed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), after the House passed the FISA Section 702 reauthorization bill 273-147, objected to its passage and requested a recorded vote on the motion to reconsider. <a href="https://t.co/PXqJOUGuiF">pic.twitter.com/PXqJOUGuiF</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1778840534141772251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The remaining vote is expected to take place next week. Punchbowl News co-founder Jake Sherman <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1778832997417955369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that &#8220;GOP leadership believes the same coalition that passed FISA will vote to table and the bill will go to the Senate.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
OK so here&#39;s the deal.
The House will have to vote to table a motion to reconsider the FISA vote next week. 
The GOP leadership believes the same coalition that passed FISA will vote to table and the bill will go to the Senate.
&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1778832997417955369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lawmakers <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 273-147 in favor of extending authorities the U.S. government uses to collect data on non-U.S. citizens abroad and deter threats to the homeland. The legislation, which got bipartisan support, would renew Section 702 for another two years and implement reforms to FISA.
Amendment votes took place earlier in the day, including one for a highly-contentious offering that would add a <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for officials wanting to do U.S. person searches in the information that gets swept up in foreign surveillance under Section 702.
That amendment, offered by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), got support from hardline conservatives and leftist members concerned about privacy, yet it failed to pass due to a <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">212-212 tie vote</a>.
&#8220;NO WARRANT, NO FISA,&#8221; Luna <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1778820846221500899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X.
The White House joined with some high-ranking Republicans in opposing the warrant requirement over the view that it would jeopardize national security. Turner <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeTurner/status/1778816761338433989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> it would &#8220;give constitutional rights to Hezbollah and other foreign adversaries.&#8221;
Initially, the FISA bill offered a five-year extension to Section 702, but it got whittled down to two years after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-blocks-fisa-spy-bill-opponents-demand-warrant-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to advance earlier this week. The shortened window will allow President Joe Biden or whatever administration may succeed him next year the chance to seek a FISA shakeup.
Former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> lawmakers to &#8220;KILL FISA&#8221; and said it was used to spy on his campaign. He was alluding to the FBI&#8217;s controversial efforts to get warrants to snoop on a 2016 campaign aide under a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4463961-house-unveils-warrantless-surveillance-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different part of FISA, Section 701</a>, using an unverified dossier.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1778076099651444805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> the FISA bill, called the Reforming Intelligence And Securing America Act, implements reforms that would “actually kill the abuses” directed at Trump’s 2016 campaign. Johnson is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/12/donald-trump-mike-johnson-meeting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to meet with Trump later in the day on Friday.
If the FISA legislation makes it out of the House, it will head to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1776255027432095818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> lawmakers &#8220;must act quickly on a bipartisan basis to ensure these vital national security authorities do not lapse.&#8221;
The White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SAP-H.R.-7888-FISA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came out in support</a> of reauthorization but rejected the warrant requirement, saying in a <a href="https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1778785434430038308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> that the amendment from Biggs would &#8220;eviscerate the value of Section 702.&#8221; Lawmakers and Biden have until April 19 to extend Section 702 before it sunsets.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

House Votes To Pass FISA Reauthorization. But There’s A Catch.

House Votes To Pass FISA Reauthorization. But There's A Catch.

Mike Johnson

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> is positioned to have another go at reauthorizing Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a>, a spy tool set to sunset next week that proponents say is crucial to protecting national security.
A <a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240408/RCP_7888_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revised</a> bill, which shrinks the extension window from five to two years and implements some reforms, passed through the Rules Committee on Thursday evening. Votes on the floor are <a href="https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1778576065503363346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to begin in the morning on Friday.
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4589456-house-panel-tees-up-vote-on-revised-fisa-reauthorization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> there is room to consider an amendment that would add a warrant requirement for Section 702, which could alleviate privacy concerns, and a bill requiring a warrant for purchasing information on U.S. citizens from data brokers.
Nineteen Republicans joined with Democrats to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-blocks-fisa-spy-bill-opponents-demand-warrant-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oppose moving forward</a> on Wednesday with the five-year extension of the provision that the <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/icotr/Section702-Basics-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government says</a> is used to monitor non-U.S. citizens abroad and deter threats from terrorists and others.
Some members who voted against advancing the FISA bill are insistent on a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4584117-fisa-spy-powers-rules-warrant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for officials seeking to <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access data concerning U.S. citizens</a> — ostensibly for law enforcement — that gets swept up in monitoring foreign persons.
A reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/aishahhasnie/status/1778532349531259097" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that multiple lawmakers told Fox News that limiting the extension window to two years was a compromise that would allow former President Donald Trump to push for more changes if he wins another White House term.
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Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> lawmakers to &#8220;KILL FISA&#8221; while saying it was used to spy on his campaign, alluding to the FBI&#8217;s controversial efforts to get warrants to snoop on a 2016 campaign aide under a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4463961-house-unveils-warrantless-surveillance-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different part of FISA, Section 701</a>, using an unverified dossier.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1778076099651444805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> the FISA legislation, called the Reforming Intelligence And Securing America Act, implements reforms that would “actually kill the abuses” directed at Trump’s 2016 campaign.
If the FISA legislation passes through the House, it will head to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1776255027432095818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> lawmakers &#8220;must act quickly on a bipartisan basis to ensure these vital national security authorities do not lapse.&#8221;
The deadline is April 19.
The Office of Management and Budget <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1778567490986992019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a statement on Thursday evening that said the Biden administration &#8220;strongly supports&#8221; the bill to reauthorize Section 702, citing its uses to protect the homeland from a variety of threats.
But the statement also said the administration rejects the amendment offered by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) that would implement a warrant requirement for Section 702.
&#8220;The amendment would prohibit U.S. officials from reviewing critical information that the Intelligence Community has already lawfully collected, with exceptions that are exceedingly narrow and unworkable in practice,&#8221; it said.
&#8220;Our intelligence, defense, and public safety communities are united: the extensive harms of this proposal simply cannot be mitigated. Therefore, the Administration strongly opposes the amendment,&#8221; the statement added.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

House Poised To Take Another Crack At FISA Reauthorization

Donald Trump

Ex-FBI Deputy Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andrew-mccabe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew McCabe</a> said on Thursday the bureau made &#8220;many mistakes&#8221; in seeking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a> authority to snoop on Carter Page, an aide to former President Donald Trump&#8217;s 2016 campaign.
The comments were made during a CNN interview in which McCabe defended FISA&#8217;s Section 702 — which empowers the U.S. intelligence community to collect data on non-U.S. citizens abroad — as Congress debates whether to reauthorize it.
McCabe, now a CNN law enforcement analyst, responded to Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call</a> to &#8220;KILL FISA&#8221; while saying it was used to spy on his campaign, after which the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-blocks-fisa-spy-bill-opponents-demand-warrant-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked</a> consideration of a reauthorization bill just days before Section 702 sunsets.
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Disgraced former FBI agent Andy McCabe: &quot;[FISA] 702 authorities were never used in the — in the course of that investigation of Donald Trump &amp; his campaign &amp; some of his campaign associates. He — he may be referring to the FISA that was used — that was obtained to surveil Carter… <a href="https://t.co/qI2t6hgrzG">pic.twitter.com/qI2t6hgrzG</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1778445079566254433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;To be clear, no, there is no truth or accuracy in that post at all,&#8221; McCabe said, adding that &#8220;702 authorities were never used in the course of that investigation of Donald Trump and his campaign and some of his campaign associates.&#8221;
Trump &#8220;may be referring to the FISA that was obtained to surveil Carter Page. We now know there are many mistakes in that FISA. Those are all regrettable. But that is not Section 702. Totally different thing here,&#8221; McCabe said.
&#8220;My guess &#8230; is that it&#8217;s not surprising that Donald Trump is against surveillance capacity and authority for the FBI because he is someone who&#8217;s been investigated by the FBI. But, nevertheless, he is absolutely wrong on this count,&#8221; he added.
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McCabe signed an application seeking FISA authority to spy on Page, part of a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1442002/doj-inspector-general-finds-17-significant-errors-or-omissions-in-carter-page-fisa-applications/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chain of approval</a> that came under fire over its partial reliance on an unverified dossier, and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2185157/andrew-mccabe-shocked-and-disappointed-by-problems-found-in-carter-page-fisa-warrant-he-approved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> to Congress he would not have done so knowing what he learned later.
The Trump Department of Justice <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/03/16/571671917/justice-department-fires-embattled-fbi-deputy-director-just-short-of-retirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> McCabe from the FBI in 2018 — hours before he was set to retire with a pension — after an inspector general report faulting him for a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mccabe-show-lack-candor-comey-doj-inspector-general/story?id=54450687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;lack of candor&#8221;</a> regarding disclosures to the media.
McCabe sued over his firing in 2019, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/us/politics/mccabe-trump-fbi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> his dismissal was &#8220;politically motivated and retaliatory&#8221; following his leadership in the Trump-Russia investigation, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/us/politics/mccabe-trump-fbi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won back</a> his pension and other benefits in a 2021 settlement.
Some lawmakers who opposed advancing the FISA bill this week have demanded a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4584117-fisa-spy-powers-rules-warrant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for officials seeking to <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access data concerning U.S. citizens</a> — ostensibly for law enforcement — that gets swept up in monitoring foreign persons.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is among those pushing to preserve FISA&#8217;s Section 702 authorities, <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?534718-1/fbi-director-testifies-fy-2025-budget-request&amp;vod&amp;start=1028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> Congress on Thursday they are &#8220;critical&#8221; to protecting Americans and claiming that adding a warrant requirement would be &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> the FISA bill, as it stands, would not only reauthorize Section 702 for five years, but also implement reforms that would “actually kill the abuses” directed at Trump’s 2016 campaign.
After the vote on Wednesday, in which 19 Republicans joined with all voting Democrats to oppose consideration of the FISA bill, Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wray-calls-for-restoration-of-section-702-of-fisa-potential-for-a-coordinated-attack-in-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> lawmakers will &#8220;regroup&#8221; and insisted the United States &#8220;can’t allow a critical tool like this to just expire.&#8221;

Andrew McCabe

Fired Top FBI Official Concedes ‘Many Mistakes’ In Trump FISA Scandal

Fired Top FBI Official Concedes 'Many Mistakes' In Trump FISA Scandal

On Wednesday, the GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> blocked the advancement of a bill that sought to reauthorize Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a> for <a href="https://laurellee.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-laurel-lee-introduces-risa-act-significant-reforms-fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five years</a> and implement reforms on the controversial spy tool.
The vote tanked a rule to bring the legislation up for consideration, creating a major setback for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who vouched for the bill after former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> lawmakers to reject the spy program used to monitor non-U.S. citizens abroad.
Nineteen Republicans joined with all voting Democrats to oppose moving forward. The final tally was <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll108.xml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">193-228</a>. Ten members, including six Republicans and four Democrats, did not vote.
What leadership will do next is not immediately clear, but it is possible lawmakers will go for <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/house-approves-defense-spending-package-surveillance-program-extension/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another extension</a> with no reforms. They have until <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/congress-fisa-surveillance-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 19</a> to reauthorize Section 702 before it sunsets.
Many of the lawmakers who opposed the bill demanded the addition of a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4584117-fisa-spy-powers-rules-warrant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for government officials seeking to <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-introduces-major-legislation-end-warrantless-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access data concerning U.S. citizens</a> — ostensibly for law enforcement purposes — that gets swept up in the monitoring of foreign persons.
&#8220;There is no shortage of spying authority abuses by the weaponized FBI. Get a warrant,&#8221; Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1778110486124319200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X, after noting &#8220;3.4 million warrantless searches of Americans&#8217; private communications. 278,000 improper searches on American citizens. 19,000 improper searches of donors to a congressional candidate.&#8221;
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also pushed for a warrant amendment to &#8220;protect&#8221; Americans. &#8220;FISA bill says FBI has to notify Congressmembers to spy on us, but regular Americans can be spied on without a warrant?&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1777879620068442577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> on X.
Trump, who is again running for the presidency, posted to Truth Social earlier in the day voicing opposition. &#8220;KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!&#8221; he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112245329328818599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, along with his initials.
The former president has criticized the surveillance tool ever since it emerged that the FBI snooped on his 2016 campaign aide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-spied-on-carter-page-now-hes-suing-them-for-75-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carter Page</a>, using an unverified dossier to obtain warrants under a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4463961-house-unveils-warrantless-surveillance-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different part of FISA, Section 701</a>.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1778076099651444805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters he looked forward to discussing the FISA issue with Trump, saying the former president is &#8220;not wrong&#8221; about its misuse.
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The FISA 702 reauthorization legislation contains reforms that would &#8220;actually kill the abuses&#8221; directed at Trump&#8217;s 2016 campaign, Johnson insisted.
&#8220;There are massive new, for example, criminal and civil penalties for using opposition research or leaking FISA applications or illegal spying. If an FBI agent or an attorney is involved in something like that, under these reforms in this reform package, they could get 10 years of jail time,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s real teeth,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And there&#8217;s a number of other reforms and measures in there. President Trump used the intel from this program to kill terrorists and we have to kill the abuses.&#8221;

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

House Blocks FISA Spy Bill, Opponents Demand Warrant Requirement

Ahead of a deadline next week to reauthorize Section 702 of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)</a>, former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> urged lawmakers on Wednesday to reject the controversial spy program used to monitor non-U.S. citizens abroad.
&#8220;KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112245329328818599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an all-caps post to his Truth Social account, along with his initials.
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<a href="https://t.co/jsz7307Fu2">pic.twitter.com/jsz7307Fu2</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1778037943485010025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The message came as House Republicans were <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1778037590370713740" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to huddle</a> and talk about <a href="https://laurellee.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-laurel-lee-introduces-risa-act-significant-reforms-fisa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the bill</a>, which includes reforms and a five-year authorization to FISA Section 702, after it <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4584117-fisa-spy-powers-rules-warrant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> through the Rules Committee on Tuesday. They have until <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/congress-fisa-surveillance-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 19</a> to reauthorize Section 702 before it sunsets.
While leaders have pressed ahead, conservative and far-left lawmakers sounded off about privacy concerns. One particular reform sought by some Republicans is a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4584117-fisa-spy-powers-rules-warrant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warrant requirement</a> for government officials to access collected information for law enforcement purposes.
&#8220;I&#8217;m with President Trump. FISA has been significantly abused to illegally spy and trample on the privacy rights of millions of Americans,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1778063125033390549" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO). &#8220;Time to kill it and get back to the way our Constitution intended things to be! Get a warrant.&#8221;
Last-minute alterations to the FISA Section 702 reauthorization bill could jeopardize its chances of advancing through both the House, which is held by Republicans, and the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.
Preventing a lapse &#8220;will take bipartisan cooperation and swift action,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-senate-agenda-for-this-work-period-and-calling-on-the-house-to-pass-the-bipartisan-national-security-supplemental" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in remarks this week. He added that the Senate &#8220;stands ready to jump into action to prevent this important national security authority from lapsing.&#8221;
Section 702 got a <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/house-approves-defense-spending-package-surveillance-program-extension/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-month extension</a> in December as part of a defense spending bill shortly after two FISA proposals got pulled in the House as lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/politics/house-gop-leadership-pulls-dueling-fisa-bills/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could not agree</a> on how to proceed. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SMJ-FISA-Dear-Colleague-4-5-24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in a recent letter that the House would try again this week.
House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), a proponent of the reauthorization bill his panel helped craft, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4579696-rep-turner-confident-fisa-bill-will-pass-this-is-not-a-warrantless-surveillance-of-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted to CNN</a> over the weekend that it was &#8220;not a warrantless surveillance of Americans&#8221; as it targets a &#8220;select group&#8221; of people aboard who pose a national security threat.
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Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the U.S. to collect information on foreign nationals outside America.
Today, I told <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JakeTapper</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNSOTU</a> that our ability to keep Americans safe depends on Congress reforming and reauthorizing FISA Section 702. <a href="https://t.co/y9QstgkKHG">pic.twitter.com/y9QstgkKHG</a>
&mdash; US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeTurner/status/1776987207460421757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Trump, who is again running for president, has criticized the surveillance tool ever since it emerged that the FBI snooped on his 2016 campaign aide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-spied-on-carter-page-now-hes-suing-them-for-75-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carter Page</a>, using an unverified dossier to obtain warrants under a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4463961-house-unveils-warrantless-surveillance-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different part of FISA, Section 701</a>. After much criticism, the bureau unveiled <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-director-christopher-wray-response-to-inspector-general-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changes</a> to its FISA processes.
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Johnson told reporters on Wednesday that he looks forward to discussing the FISA issue with Trump, noting the former president is &#8220;not wrong&#8221; about misuse of the surveillance tool. He said the FISA 702 reauthorization legislation contains reforms that would &#8220;actually kill the abuses&#8221; directed at Trump&#8217;s 2016 campaign.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on former President Trump&#39;s statement this morning to kill the FISA reform bill: &quot;I look forward to talking with him about it. Here&#39;s the thing about FISA, he&#39;s not wrong, of course&#8230;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fku21268Yk">pic.twitter.com/fku21268Yk</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1778076099651444805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;There are massive new, for example, criminal and civil penalties for using opposition research or leaking FISA applications or illegal spying. If an FBI agent or an attorney is involved in something like that, under these reforms in this reform package, they could get 10 years of jail time,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s real teeth,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And there&#8217;s a number of other reforms and measures in there. President Trump used the intel from this program to kill terrorists and we have to kill the abuses.&#8221;

Former President Donald Trump

Trump Says ‘Kill FISA’ As Lawmakers Consider Surveillance Reauthorization

Trump Says 'Kill FISA' As Lawmakers Consider Surveillance Reauthorization 

A new <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/How-Federal-Law-Enforcement-Commandeered-Financial-Institutions-to-Spy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government finds that federal law enforcement agencies asked major banks to monitor customers who oppose gun control and support strong border policies. The agencies equated these conservative views with potential “violent extremism.”
The investigation into the federal government’s surveillance of Americans’ financial activities <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/in-the-news/house-gop-investigating-bank-america-voluntarily-giving-fbi-list-customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> in May 2023, after House Republicans discovered that Bank of America had voluntarily turned customer data over to the feds in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol protests.
At that time, FBI whistleblowers alleged that BofA had given the agency records from a “huge list” of customers who were in Washington D.C. on or around that date or who used a debit or credit card to purchase a firearm around that time. The whistleblowers claimed these actions were taken was without warrants, probable cause, or any of the constitutional protections that would be typically required.
After a year-long investigation, the committee found that the FBI worked with not only BofA, but many other financial institutions like Barclays, U.S. Bank, Charles Schwab, HSBC, and PayPal who voluntarily shared private customer banking records “with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal process.” The feds were particularly interested in purchases from sporting goods stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops that sell firearms. The investigation also found that the FBI and other agencies flagged “Trump,” “MAGA,” “Bible” and other right-coded terms for banks to search in the transactions of customers who were not suspected of committing any crime. In one guidance, the agency said buying &#8220;religious texts&#8221; could be an indication of &#8220;extremism.&#8221;
Perhaps the most explosive revelation centers on an intelligence document titled “Domestic Violent Extremists Likely Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach” that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center shared with about 650 private financial institutions. In it, the agencies identify certain viewpoints they say could correspond with being a violent extremist. It includes opposition to gun control legislation, support for measures to control the border and crack down on illegal immigration, opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and a belief in the existence of a deep state. The agencies asked the financial institutions to search customer transaction records for evidence of these beliefs and share that data with them. They also created a secret portal for a select group of major banking institutions that allowed for ongoing backchannel information sharing.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/state-of-the-union-national-guard-in-ny-subway-3-8-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Hear the full report from the House Weaponization Hearing on Morning Wire</a></h4>
In essence, the subcommittee says that the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have weaponized financial institutions against conservatives. As the House report put it, “support for typical conservative policies…may result in an individual being labeled by the FBI as [domestic violence extremist] “Likely to Pose [an] Increasing Threat at Lawful Protests, Rallies, [and] Demonstrations.”
During a March 7 hearing related to these findings, subcommittee chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) said the message federal authorities are sending is “if you’ve got the wrong political beliefs, you’re potentially a domestic violent extremist.”
“We&#8217;ve seen the censorship, now we see what&#8217;s happening with big banks and big government relative to your financial data,” Jordan said. “Again, all this being done with no process, no warrant, no notification to the customer that the banks are actually supposed to serve. Big government&#8217;s not supposed to use big tech to censor Americans, and big government shouldn&#8217;t be working with big banks to target Americans for behavior that is legal and constitutional.”
In response to these revelations, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has introduced the “Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act.” The bill would ban banks and credit card companies from using a code to track gun purchases, something she says would create a “backdoor gun registry.”
However, the bill would not address the broader terms the FBI and other agencies were asking banks to search, and it is not yet clear how or if Republicans will respond to those issues legislatively.
Brian Knight, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, said during the hearing the Weaponization Committee should be strategizing about how to protect Americans from unconstitutional financial data collecting at the bank-level. “I think that efforts to efforts to restrict the collection of data at the bank level are the best option we have currently,” he testified. “Because under current law, once the bank has that data, government has that data. So preventing the collection at the bank level is your first best option.”
Jordan Peterson, who is a Daily Wire personality, also testified at the March 7 hearing, warning that the practices the FBI and other federal agencies are currently involved in can quickly lead to a Chinese-style social credit system, where people with disfavored views find it very difficult to carry out financial transactions.
“This allows you purposefully to be shut out of all activities that can be virtualized,” he warned. “And in a rapidly virtualizing world, this increasingly means all activities. Driving, shopping, working, eating, finding shelter. Even fraternizing with friends and family. As merely being in the presence of someone with a low social credit score means that your own score can be lowered.”
He added that this is “precisely the payment system most desired by the most tyrannical.”
* * *
Listen to the full report on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/state-of-the-union-national-guard-in-ny-subway-3-8-24">Morning Wire</a>.

House Judiciary Holds Hearing Examining The Weaponization Of The Federal Government

Feds Equate Typical Conservative Views With ‘Violent Extremism’ In Financial Surveillance, House Weaponization Committee Finds

Feds Equate Typical Conservative Views With 'Violent Extremism' In Financial Surveillance, House Weaponization Committee Finds

Bank of America

Banking

Biden Administration

Conservatives

Jim Jordan

PayPal

Readers Pass

Weaponization

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nypd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NYPD</a> plans to use drones to monitor Labor Day parties this weekend.
The unmanned drones will be dispatched in response to complaints about large gatherings like barbecues, including private events, officials said Thursday.
“If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference.
The drones were announced during a security briefing about an annual Caribbean festival in Brooklyn called J’ouvert that attracts thousands of people. The drones will be deployed for “non-priority and priority calls” off the parade route, Daughtry said.
The announcement sparked immediate criticism from privacy advocates who argued the police drone use is illegal.
“It’s a troubling announcement,&#8221; Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-labor-day-eric-adams-nypd-jouvert-c2787e87bcad8fa87aa8d34b454ee6cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press.
“Deploying drones in this way is a sci-fi inspired scenario,” he said.
Schwarz argued the NYPD&#8217;s plan &#8220;flies in the face&#8221; of the POST Act, a 2020 city law that requires the police force to be transparent about its surveillance methods.
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“One of the biggest concerns with the rush to roll out new forms of aerial surveillance is how few protections we have against seeing these cameras aimed at our backyards or even our bedrooms,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-labor-day-eric-adams-nypd-jouvert-c2787e87bcad8fa87aa8d34b454ee6cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP).
“Clearly, flying a drone over a backyard barbecue is a step too far for many New Yorkers,” Cahn said.
The NYPD&#8217;s use of drones has skyrocketed to 124 occasions so far this year, up from only four times using drones in all of last year, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-labor-day-eric-adams-nypd-jouvert-c2787e87bcad8fa87aa8d34b454ee6cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to city data.
Mayor Eric Adams, who previously said the police drones have “endless” potential, dismissed concerns about the drones, promising no one would be &#8220;monitored.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to push back on the sci-fi aspects of drones — nobody’s going to be monitored,” Adams said Friday at a press conference alongside NYPD Commissioner Eddie Caban.
“So what we’re doing over this weekend, there are a number of calls of loud music, disruptive behavior,” Adams said. “Instead of the police having to respond and look at those, they’re going to utilize drones from a safe distance up, not down flying in someone’s backyard to see what they have on a grill.&#8221;
Adams said the NYPD will use the drones to determine whether they need to send crisis management teams immediately to address the problem. He argued that drones can arrive at a problem area much faster than cops trying to navigate crowded streets.
The NYPD commissioner agreed with the mayor and said drones have been “a wonderful thing” for the police force.
“Everybody, like the mayor said, is worried about sci-fi,” the commissioner said.
The city recently deployed the police drones at two Manhattan events that got out of hand — a fight at Washington Square Park after the Pride parade, and during streamer Kai Cenat’s gamer giveaway in Union Square that erupted into violence.

Drone in Flight

New York Police Will Use Drones To Monitor Labor Day Parties

New York City

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Technology

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> inappropriately searched for information on a U.S. senator using an intelligence provision intended for monitoring foreign nationals, a court opinion released Friday shows. 
The opinion from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court said that the FBI improperly searched a database for information on an unidentified U.S. senator, state senator, and judge. The FBI conducted the searches under powers derived from Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but the conditions for the searches were not met, the judge said, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4110850-fbi-improperly-used-702-surveillance-powers-on-us-senator/">according</a> to The Hill.
“In June 2022, an analyst conducted four queries of Section 702 information using the last names of a U.S. senator and a state senator, without further limitation,” a court opinion from Judge Rudolph Contreras said.
Section 702 allows allows intelligence agencies to obtain the online communications of foreign nationals without a warrant.
Although the court said that a “a specific foreign intelligence service” was looking into two of the individuals, the FBI was not able to provide proper criteria for the searches as determined by the National Security Division at the Department of Justice.
Information on the judge was searched after he had accused a police chief of civil rights violations. 
A “Staff Operations Specialist ran a query using the Social Security number of a state judge who ‘had complained to [the] FBI about alleged civil right violations perpetrated by a municipal chief of police,’” the opinion said. 
Contreras said that the FBI had been doing “a better job in applying the querying standard” since the mistakes have been revealed. Previous documentation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-misused-surveillance-tool-over-278000-times-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from the case indicates</a> that Section 702 was misused over 278,000 times to collect information on American citizens. 
The opinion was released after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued to make it public. The opinion was from April 2023. 
“The FBI continues to break the rules put in place to protect Americans, running illegal searches on public officials including a U.S. senator, and it’s long past time for Congress to step in. As Congress debates reauthorizing Section 702, these opinions make clear why fundamental reforms are urgently needed,” Patrick Toomey, of the ACLU National Security Project, told The Hill in a statement. 
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FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the FBI had implemented “substantial reforms” over its use of Section 702.
&#8220;Compliance is an ongoing endeavor, and we recently announced new additional accountability measures,&#8221; Wray <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-improperly-searched-intel-database-info-us-senator/story?id=101554896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;We will continue to focus on using our Section 702 authorities to protect American lives and keeping our Homeland safe, while safeguarding civil rights and liberties.&#8221;
Section 702, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nsa-asks-for-reauthorization-of-surveillance-powers-as-republicans-prepare-to-investigate-security-agencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first implemented</a> in 2008, was renewed by then-President Donald Trump in 2018 even after he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-politics-077b8a0f34354149ac2b55ce533f203a">said</a> the power was linked to the widely discredited Steele Dossier that purported to have evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. After initial skepticism, Trump renewed the powers following a discussion with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). 
Intelligence officials have urged lawmakers to renew the powers at the end of the year, but some lawmakers have remained skeptical, especially with concerns over a politicized FBI.

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