[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 48 (Thursday, March 12, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                USA FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, now, on another matter, yesterday the 
House of Representatives did come together around a bipartisan 
agreement to renew some critical national security tools. The USA 
FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020 will reauthorize key authorities 
granted to intelligence and national security professionals under the 
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
  First and foremost, this means ensuring that the men and women tasked 
with rooting out espionage and stopping terrorist activity on U.S. soil 
are equipped with the powers they need to be successful.
  Today, the threats these professionals confront are as serious and 
diverse as ever. Terrorist groups continue to wish us harm. Major 
hostile powers like Russia and China remain committed to undermining 
the integrity of American institutions, from our infrastructure to our 
elections.
  The targeted powers reauthorized by this legislation are a vital part 
of the efforts to protect American communities. That is a fact. It is a 
fact that has been reaffirmed time and again by Attorneys General and 
by the numerous reauthorizations granted by Congress.
  This time is no different. We can't mistake the safety and security 
that FISA authorities have helped preserve for evidence that they are 
no longer needed. At the same time, we cannot mistake a vital process 
for a perfect one. The 2016 election showed us perfectly clearly that 
the authorities granted under FISA are in need of targeted reforms to 
improve accountability. That was backed up by the findings of the 
Department of Justice inspector general.
  That is why this legislation contains a number of specific reforms to 
address the kinds of failures that embarrassed the system in 2016: more 
oversight over the practices of the FISA Court, more declassification 
and more compliance practices, higher level approval for certain 
sensitive applications, and more.
  Our responsibility here is twofold. We have to continue equipping our 
national security professionals and the intelligence community to 
anticipate, confront, and eliminate the threats facing our country, and 
we also have to respond to the failures of 2016 with real reforms that 
ensure the public trust is handled appropriately.
  This legislation, passed by a bipartisan majority in the House and 
endorsed by the Attorney General, strikes the right balance. I am 
confident that it will pass the Senate as well. It is not a question of 
if this passes but when.
  I hope that our colleagues who may not choose to vote for this 
legislation will not deny this body the opportunity to renew these 
authorities today to prevent any lapse. I hope none of our colleagues 
choose to force these important national security tools to temporarily 
lapse for the sake of making a political point, which will not change 
the outcome. In fact, I hope we can renew these authorities today.
  But if we cannot, if some of our colleagues choose to object, the 
lapse will only be temporary, similar to past short lapses between 
reauthorizations. These national security tools should not lapse. They 
do not need to lapse, and I hope none of our colleagues choose to 
unilaterally force them to lapse just for the sake of making a point. 
But at least it would only be temporary because this bill is going to 
pass, these authorities are getting renewed, and that is a great thing 
for the security of our Nation and the safety of the American people. I 
hope it can happen today.

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