Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today raised serious concerns to the recently enacted White House proposal to drastically alter the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The law, rushed through Congress right before the August recess, gives sweeping and unnecessary license for the Administration to wiretap Americans without court supervision. Rep. Nadler voted against the bill.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing today titled, "Warrantless Surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: The Role of Checks and Balances in Protecting Americans’ Privacy Rights."

"The White House FISA law fails to protect our fundamental freedoms," said Rep. Nadler. "In the rush of the final hours before the August recess, lawmakers were stampeded by fear-mongering and deception into signing away our rights. The one saving grace is that the law sunsets in five months – and now Congress must use that time to restore much-needed checks and balances into this damaged law. We have a choice – we can sign away our rights to the Bush White House, or we can stand for the freedoms that define America."