WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. Dick Durbin issued the following press release:
In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for serious reforms to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire next month. Section 702 grew out of a secret warrantless surveillance program conducted by the Bush Administration after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. When this illegal spying program was exposed, Congress enacted Section 702 as a temporary measure.
"Like so many expansive government powers that are adopted during times of emergency, this authority has now become a fixture of our surveillance architectur...