FBI Director Christopher Wray addressed Congress on Thursday, expressing concerns about potential attacks on U.S. soil as a result of events occurring overseas.
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed his main worry about the possibility of individuals or small groups getting influenced in a negative way by the events in the Middle East and carrying out attacks within the United States. However, what is becoming even more concerning now is the potential for a well-coordinated attack within the country, similar to the recent ISIS-K attack at the Russia Concert Hall.
FBI Director Christopher Wray urged Congress to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This provision enables the government to gather communications of non-U.S. individuals abroad who utilize U.S.-based platforms, all without the need for a warrant.
Allies of former President Donald Trump successfully defeated the effort on Wednesday after Trump urged the GOP to “Kill FISA” in a social media post.
Conservative House Republicans are against reauthorizing the measure unless it includes an amendment that mandates the intelligence community to acquire a warrant before accessing the data of Americans.
The ACLU and other civil liberties groups have joined in advocating for similar reforms, as they argue that Section 702 permits the government to conduct “warrantless surveillance on a large scale, encompassing the phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications of both Americans and foreigners.”
Congress voted on a bill on Wednesday. However, the warrant amendment was not included in the bill. On Thursday, Wray testified to discuss the FBI’s budget, which is currently facing a $500 million decrease. The budgets of the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have been cut by House Republicans. Wray appealed to Congress to provide funding for the agency until 2025.
