Boyda speaks out on FISA

In an excellent write-up in the Joplin Globe, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda today laid out exactly why every single member of the House of Representatives should opposed the so-called "compromise" FISA legislation that the Republicans are attempting to force through Congress:

‘Shred the Constitution’

U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan, said House Democrats are finally standing up to President George W. Bush. She said the Senate bill would eliminate the oversight and checks and balances provided by the Constitution.

“My No. 1 priority is keeping Americans safe and going after the terrorists,” Boyda said. “You don’t have to shred the Constitution to do it.”

She said there is little judicial or congressional oversight in the bill, giving free reign to the executive branch.

“The Protect America Act does away with court oversight and puts everything in the executive branch,” Boyda said. “People should be horrified of that.”

Boyda said the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act has been amended over the years so that it keeps up with changing technology. While the president has said the House failure to approve the Senate bill is endangering American lives, Boyda said he is engaging in fear-mongering and she expects that tactic to continue.

Boyda also said she doesn’t favor giving immunity to the telephone and communication companies.

“The president will not tell us what he wants immunity from,” Boyda said. “He wants blanket immunity. The American people should be alarmed.”

Today, it's pretty clear that we are absolutely not "less safe" with the expiration of the Protect America Act than we were before. If we were really going to be less safe, how in the world could the Republicans have stood in the way of the 21-day extension they all voted against before the recess? And how in the world could the President have promised to veto any bill that didn't include immunity for the telecoms?

They allowed the bill to lapse, and they refuse to accept a bill that doesn't protect the phone companies because they know we're safe without the bill, and they know they aren't putting a single American life in danger. Otherwise they would never dare play politics.

If the telecoms have helped the Bush Administration violate our Constitutional rights, we should have the right to prosecute them. And the President of the United States, and the Republican members of Congress (and in the Kansas GOP) must stop their fear mongering immediately. It's the very worst of cynical politics, and it's disgusting.

Every Kansan should be proud of the work Congresswoman Nancy Boyda is doing to prevent rank violations of our most fundamental rights, and we should all be proud of the fact she, and the Democratic Majority, are finally standing up to the fear machine that has kept us all from asking the hard questions for the last 7 years.

The FISA courts have granted thousands- literally thousands- of warrants of the years for wiretapping. If it was good enough all those thousands of times, why isn't it good enough for this President?