Detail for 2006 House Roll Call Vote 502

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Electronic Surveillance Act.

This legislation authorizes a massive domestic spying program that includes collecting data on tens of millions of people in the United States. The program would let the government spy on telephone and email communications of people in the U.S. who are not suspected of any crime.

American Civil Liberties Union

Warrantless Wiretapping.

The House of Representatives passed the White House-Wilson Bill, dubbed the "Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act,". The bill would allow warrantless surveillance of telephone and e-mail conversations that Americans in the U.S. have with people abroad, even when there is no evidence that they are conspiring with foreign terrorist organizations. It would authorize warrantless surveillance of Americans with no judicial check if the U.S. is attacked, or when the president decides there is a threat of attack. This group opposed this legislation because it would authorize more warrantless surveillance of Americans than Congress has ever legislated in U.S. history.

Americans for Democratic Action

HR 5825. Warrantless Electronic Surveillance.

Passage of a bill to allow electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists' communications for specified periods without first obtaining approval from the secret court established by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The bill would allow warrantless surveillance to be conducted for up to 90 days if an armed or terrorist attack against the United States has occurred, or if there is an "imminent threat." The President would have to notify congressional intelligence committees and the FISA court of the surveillance. The bill would extend to seven days the amount of time intelligence agencies can conduct warrantless electronic surveillance in "emergency situations" before seeking FISA court approval.

Republican Liberty Caucus (Civil Liberty)

H R 5825.

Warrantless Electronic Surveillance/to extend to seven days.

The John Birch Society

Electronic Surveillance.

The warrantless electronic surveillance bill (H.R. 5825) would allow electronic surveillance of communications with suspected terrorists without first obtaining approval from the secret courts established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Furthermore, the bill would authorize unwarranted surveillance for up to 90 days in some instances if a threat was considered “imminent.” Intelligence agencies would be allowed to conduct warrantless surveillance for seven days prior to gaining court approval if the threat was considered an “emergency situation.”  This controversial bill had full support of the Bush administration as a means to provide greater national security in a post- 9/11 world.
 
In our opinion such a law would violate the Fourth Amendment by subjecting U.S. citizens to unreasonable searches and seizures.