WASHINGTON – Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today criticized House Leadership for stalling tactics and called on the House to pass a permanent update to foreign intelligence surveillance laws that are set to expire on Friday. 

“Establishing a coherent framework for our foreign intelligence laws to keep Americans safe should not be partisan matter,” noted Capito.  “Our intelligence gatherers deserve a permanent legal framework that grants them flexibility to effectively monitor terrorist activity.  We must modernize our surveillance laws and equip our intelligence community with the tools they need to counter a rapidly evolving enemy.” 

Congress passed the bipartisan Protect America Act in August to address technological advances and close a loop-hole that prevented the intelligence community from monitoring certain types of terrorist communications.

Due to modern communications advances, a phone call between two international terrorists using international phone numbers may be routed through the United States.  Without a permanent update, the intelligence community would face severe restrictions on their access to similar calls between known terrorists.

Capito noted that a permanent update passed yesterday with strong bipartisan support in the Senate and would also have bipartisan support in the House. 

A coalition of House Democrats have joined Republicans in calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on the Senate’s intelligence bill, but she has thus far refused their request.

“This is yet another example of an attempt to play politics and further delay passage of legislation that clearly has support from members of both parties,” said Capito.  “The Senate bill is a sound piece of legislation that closes the terrorist loophole and protects the privacy rights of the American public, while not extending those same rights to foreign terrorists.”

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