Two legislators have introduced legislation that would require the President to disclose his secret interpretation of America’s spying laws. This is especially relevant in the wake of yesterday’s Snoweden leaks showing how the NSA uses a secret interpretation of the FISA spying law to spy on Americans.
The new bill in the house complements a similar bill introduced in the Senate last week.
“In order to have an informed public debate on the merits of these programs, it is important for the American people to know how such programs have been authorized, their limits and their scope,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a statement.
“Particularly now that the existence of these programs has been acknowledged, I believe there is much more that can be shared with the public about their legal basis,” Schiff said. “It is my hope that this legislation will increase transparency and inform the national debate about the surveillance authorities provided to the Intelligence Community. I also believe that requiring additional disclosure would provide another valuable check on any potential expansion of surveillance under these authorities, whether by this or any future Administration.”
Lawmakers introduce new bill to compel gov’t to declassify secret court opinions