2018: Fitzpatrick Voted To Reauthorize The Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act. In January 2018, Fitzpatrick voted for legislation
that according to Congressional Quarterly, "would reauthorize for six
years, through 2023, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which
governs electronic surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects. The bill
would reauthorize Section 702 surveillance authorities on foreign
targets, and would require the development of procedures for searching
the Section 702 database that would protect the Fourth Amendment rights
of U.S. citizens. The bill would prohibit the FBI from accessing
information without an order from the secret FISA court in certain
cases. The measure would increase penalties for the unauthorized removal
of classified documents or information." The House passed the
legislation by a vote of 256 to 164. The Senate later agreed to the bill
and President Trump signed it into law. [House Vote 16,
1/11/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 1/11/18; Congressional
Actions, S.
139]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Requiring FBI And Intelligence Agents
Receive A Warrant To Look Through The Section 702 Database For
Information About U.S. Citizens That Was Gathered When Collecting
Information On Non-Americans. In January 2018, Fitzpatrick voted
against an amendment that would have, according to the New York Times,
"imposed a series of new safeguards. That proposal included a
requirement that officials obtain warrants in most cases before hunting
for, and reading, emails and other messages of Americans that were swept
up under the surveillance. Supporters of those changes contended that
the overhaul was needed to preserve Fourth Amendment privacy rights in
the internet era. But intelligence and law enforcement officials argued
that it was unnecessary, and dangerous, to limit security officials from
being able to freely gain access to information the government already
possessed." The underlying legislation reauthorized FISA. The House
rejected the amendment by a vote of 183 to 233. [House Vote 14,
1/11/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 1/11/18; New York
Times,
1/11/18;
Congressional Actions, H. Amdt.
510;
Congressional Actions, S.
139]