WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), released the following statement after the Senate voted 65-34 to pass S. 139, the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017, sending the measure to the President for his signature:

“Section 702 is among the most important of our intelligence programs, which is why the Senate voted along bipartisan lines to renew this authority for six years. This bill is not perfect, but it will provide our Intelligence Community with the legal authority to continue to collect vital foreign intelligence necessary to keep Americans and our allies safe, while incorporating provisions that strengthen the privacy and civil liberties of individuals.”

In a speech on the Senate floor Monday evening, Sen. Warner highlighted a declassified example of the key role Section 702 plays in ensuring our security at home and the globe: Hajji Iman was the second-in-command of ISIS based in Syria; the National Security Agency (NSA) used collection permitted and authorized under Section 702 to gather intelligence on the close associates and network supporting Hajji Iman, including their location in Syria.  After more than two years of searching, Hajji Iman was killed by U.S. forces on March 24, 2016 – just one of numerous examples in which the information obtained pursuant to Section 702 has proven critical to addressing threats to Americans both domestically and abroad.

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