Arr, House Dem Jayapal be havin' a proper go at the FBI's Wray! Warnin' 'bout FISA renewal, aye, tricky waters ahead!
2023-07-12
Arr, me hearties! In a grand spectacle, the gallant Congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal, from Washington, didst stoop to question the honorable FBI Director, Christopher Wray, regarding the bureau's plunder of data on our fine American brethren.
In a lively exchange during FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal expressed concerns about the FBI's collection of American citizens' personal data. Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, warned that the FBI's ability to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) could be in jeopardy if privacy protections were not ensured. She referred to conflicting testimonies given by Wray regarding the FBI's purchase of commercial data on U.S. citizens. Wray responded by stating that the topic was complex and required further explanation from subject-matter experts. Jayapal pressed Wray on whether the FBI purchased data, citing a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that indicated they did. Wray maintained that the FBI did not purchase data, but acknowledged the confusion surrounding the issue. Jayapal also inquired about the presence of location data in the data the FBI had already purchased, to which Wray offered a similar response. Jayapal emphasized the importance of the American people understanding how their data is being used, including location, biometric, medical, mental health, communications, and internet activity data. She questioned Wray about the FBI's written policies regarding the purchase and use of commercially available information, and also referenced a Supreme Court case on historical location data access without a warrant. Jayapal stressed the need for privacy protections in the reauthorization process of FISA. Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee chairman, praised Jayapal's questioning, and some House Republicans have expressed opposition to renewing FISA, citing concerns about government surveillance of citizens.