Conyers to Hold FISA Hearing Next WeekRep. John Conyers (D-MI) isn’t wasting any time. On August 4, literally the day that the Protect America Act passed the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Conyers and intelligence committee chair Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), imploring them to come up with alternative legislation for foreign-to-domestic surveillance.
And this afternoon, Conyers announced that his House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the now-gutted Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on September 5, the first Thursday back after the Congressional recess.
The current act expires in six months, but relentless pressure from liberals in the House to immediately scale back its vast powers is forcing Pelosi’s hand. During the debate over the act on August 4, Conyers focused on “reverse targeting” — warrantless surveillance of a person inside the U.S., potentially occurring when he or she speaks to someone abroad — so expect the committee hearing to reflect that focus.
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