U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin: “We need to strengthen our counterterrorism efforts and protect the privacy and freedoms of law-abiding Americans – we can and must do both.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today released the following statement on S. 139, the FISA section 702 reauthorization:

“I believe we need to strengthen our counterterrorism efforts and protect the privacy and freedoms of law-abiding Americans – we can and must do both but this legislation doesn’t pass that test.

“In 2001, I opposed the PATRIOT Act because I feared that government surveillance programs would cross the line and infringe on the privacy rights of Americans and that is exactly what happened. In 2008, I opposed the bill creating the 702 program because it lacked the safeguards to protect innocent, law-abiding Americans from warrantless government spying. For years, the intelligence community has refused to be transparent about how this foreign surveillance program has been used to conduct warrantless surveillance of American citizens. The legislation being voted on today in the Senate reauthorizes Section 702 of FISA for six years while failing to adequately reform that law to prevent the kinds of abuses we have seen. I don’t believe we should provide another blank check for six more years and I stand with a bipartisan group of my Senate colleagues in opposition to this legislation.

“I support a better approach that deserves a vote in the Senate but didn’t get one today. I am a proud cosponsor of the bipartisan USA RIGHTS Act, which would reauthorize and reform important intelligence programs, providing intelligence agencies the tools they need to fight foreign terrorism, while protecting the constitutional rights guaranteed to every American.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Baldwin Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Denial of Disaster Aid for Wisconsin

Aug 20th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Baldwin supports Governor Evers’ appeal for hazard mitigation funds to ensure Wisconsin communities can build back more resilient after April storms

Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Trump From Hiding Troop Death and Injuries From Iran War

Aug 14th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Legislation comes after Pentagon recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran War in an attempt to downplay war’s harms

Baldwin, Blumenthal Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Admin Rescind Cancelation of Lifesaving Research Grants That Improve Patient Safety & Care

Aug 14th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Lawmakers: “The agency’s actions over the last year are an outrageous abuse of administrative power that will leave Americans sicker, poorer, and dying from preventable causes. Each of these canceled grants put real life patients further from the care that they need.”