WC Wisconsin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) stood firmly in defense of American citizens' right to privacy by voting against the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

In a statement released after the vote, Congressman Van Orden emphasized his commitment to safeguarding civil liberties, stating, "As a former member of the United States Navy SEAL Teams responsible for conducting counterterrorism operations on multiple continents, I have dedicated my life to physically protecting American citizens. As a Member of Congress, it is now my duty to protect American citizens’ civil liberties."

Expressing his concerns about the potential misuse of intelligence agencies, Congressman Van Orden highlighted his reservations about the reforms to Section 702 of FISA, stating, "Although there are many strong reforms to Section 702 of FISA, I do not have confidence that these reforms will be adhered to and believe that within a short period of time, either due to an event or institutional inertia, the weaponized intelligence agencies will return to their unlawful conduct."

Furthermore, Congressman Van Orden stressed the importance of fundamental reforms within the institutions themselves to prevent the abuse of Constitutional rights, stating, "Additionally, regardless of the penalties included in the Section 702 reforms, unless there are fundamental reforms to the institutions themselves, American citizens’ Constitutional rights will continue to be abused and the institutions will not be held accountable. This is unacceptable and is why I voted no on the FISA reform and reauthorization package."

By taking a principled stand against the reauthorization of FISA, Congressman Derrick Van Orden has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to protecting the privacy and rights of American citizens.