News Release - Attorney General McCollum Leads Charge Urging Congress To Pass National Security Measure

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Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

March 5, 2008

Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Attorney General McCollum Leads Charge Urging Congress To Pass National Security Measure

~ 25 Attorneys General sign letter of support for the FISA Amendments Act~

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today led Attorneys General from two dozen states in urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass Senate Bill 2248, the FISA Amendments Act of 2007, as passed already in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan legislation would ensure intelligence officials have the ability via wiretapping and other surveillance means to collect vitally important information about foreign terrorists operating overseas.

“Prompt access to intelligence data is critical to the ongoing safety and security of our nation,” Attorney General McCollum and his colleagues wrote. “As Attorneys General, we are our states’ chief law enforcement officials and therefore responsible for taking whatever action is necessary to keep our citizens safe. With S. 2448 still pending in the House of Representatives, our national security is in jeopardy.”

The result of the lapsing of the Protect America Act last week has been that intelligence officials now must obtain FISA warrants each time they need to monitor suspected terrorists in overseas countries. Passing the FISA Act would ensure intelligence experts are once again able to conduct real-time surveillance.

A recognized terrorism expert during his 20 years representing Central Florida in the U.S. House, Attorney General McCollum founded the U.S. House Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare. Now as House and Senate leaders work at finding consensus on this critical anti-terrorism measure, Attorney General McCollum is urging his former Congressional colleagues to keep protecting our national security at the forefront of the debate.

A copy of the letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Minority Leader John Boehner and Minority Whip Roy Blunt is available online at: http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7CETTT/$file/FISAAGHouseLetter.pdf.