Forget the fourth: domestic surveillance.

• Author: Shackford, Scott
• Position: Citings - Brief article

In 2008 Congress amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), greatly expanding the federal government's ability to secretly monitor its own citizens' electronic communications without a warrant in the course of investigating terrorism or espionage.

The amendments were scheduled to expire in 2012 unless renewed by Congress. After waiting until the end of the year, Congress rushed to extend the authorization for warrantless surveillance without debate. A handful of senators had different plans. Concerned about the surveillance program's privacy implications and its lack of transparency, four senators proposed changes.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) wanted to shorten the program's extension so that it would sunset again in three years instead of five. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) asked Attorney General Eric Holder to disclose...