General Discussion

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The Prospect contacted all members of the leadership of the CBC and Rep. Meeks to seek comment on the decision to support a clean reauthorization of Section 702. None of them responded before press time. Hours after press time, Rep. Meeks responded, claiming that “I support FISA reauthorization, but the only vote I’ve been whipping is my War Powers Resolution to end the war in Iran. Whip operations are traditionally conducted by the Ranking Member of the committee that has jurisdiction over the legislation being considered. Any claim that I’m whipping the CBC on FISA is false.”

The story does not say that Rep. Meeks is whipping a vote, as that has a specific meaning in the context of Congress. It says that he convinced the CBC to support a clean reauthorization. That reporting has gone unchallenged.

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So influential are the intelligence agencies that rely on Section 702 that they have managed to cow a long-standing reformist, CBC chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY).

In 2010, Clarke opposed Section 702 on the grounds that renewal of the act would create “a precedent under which we will see the creation of a system that uses the private sector as a de facto spying agency for the government.” Since 2010, Clarke has consistently voted to pass broad reforms restricting Section 702’s reach, and voted against reauthorizing the power the last time it came before Congress in 2024.

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