DelBene, Franken Endorse 2015 USA Freedom Act, Which Gets CEA, Yahoo Cheers

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., joined House Judiciary Committee members in cosponsoring the USA Freedom Act (see 1504280056) which they say would “rein in" the NSA's "domestic surveillance program and protect Americans’ privacy by creating greater transparency, oversight and accountability,” a news release said Wednesday. The legislation would end bulk data collection under USA Patriot Act Section 215, overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) courts and increase transparency by creating a panel of experts that would provide guidance to the courts on issues such as privacy and civil liberties, DelBene said. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., declared his support for the Senate’s version of the bill, which “contains measures based on what Sens. Franken and Dean Heller, R-Nev., proposed in their Surveillance Transparency Act,” a Franken news release said Tuesday. All “novel and significant” FISA court opinions would be required to be public under the House legislation, DelBene said. The bill also “provides options for companies to publicly disclose information about requests they receive from the government,” which is a change DelBene pushed for in 2014. DelBene didn't support surveillance overhaul proposals last year, saying “critical and transparency provisions were weakened,” and said the legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., which would reauthorize the Patriot Act for five years, is “misguided and has little chance of becoming law.” CEA Senior Vice President-Government Affairs Michael Petricone said the USA Freedom Act will “restore trust in American services and products and preserve our competitiveness worldwide, while continuing to protect our national security.” Reaction from the international community to U.S. government surveillance practices has cost American companies tens of millions of dollars and potentially thousands of jobs, Petricone said. Yahoo is “encouraged” by the USA Freedom Act, and urges Congress to move forward with passing meaningful reform, said a spokeswoman.