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Press Release
Clayton Confirmation as Director of National Intelligence Does Not Erase Mass Surveillance Concerns
Congress must continue to refuse to reauthorizer FISA until reforms are included.
Washington, D.C. — Today, in an 51-47 vote, the Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence. Clayton’s confirmation does not alleviate concerns about the federal government’s sweeping, unconstitutional surveillance powers.
Don Bell, policy counsel for The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:
“At a time of unprecedented weaponization of surveillance, today’s Senate confirmation of Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence does nothing to change the urgent need to dismantle warrantless mass surveillance. Glaring loopholes in federal law enable the federal government to collect vast amounts of our personal information without a warrant. This is a dangerous violation of the Constitution, no matter who is in power.
“Congress cannot give this administration a blank check for surveillance, which is exactly what it would do by reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without reform. Congress must close the backdoor search loophole and data broker loophole to ensure that Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights are secure regardless of who helms the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and who is in the White House.”
