{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-intelligence-committee-passes-collins-king-amendments-to-increase-oversight-and-accountability-within-intelligence-community", "Senate Intelligence Committee Passes Collins, King Amendments to Increase Oversight & Accountability within Intelligence Community", "2013-10-31", "2013", "2013-10", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Intelligence Committee Passes Collins, King Amendments to Increase Oversight & Accountability within Intelligence Community\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMaine Senators score significant victory for improved oversight of Intelligence activities as part of reform bill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, October 31, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today passed several amendments authored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) that will increase oversight and accountability within our nation\u2019s Intelligence community. Senators Collins and King are the only two Senators on the Intelligence Committee whose amendments were adopted during the Committee\u2019s markup of legislation reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).\r\nThe first amendment, authored by Senator Collins and cosponsored by Senator King, would enhance the authority of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) to conduct independent oversight of the National Security Agency\u2019s counterterrorism collection activities.\r\n\u201cStrengthening the independent oversight provided by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is crucial to ensuring that our nation\u2019s counterterrorism efforts fully take into account the privacy rights of Americans, which we value so greatly,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cWith the adoption of our amendment, the Board will play an increasingly important role in evaluating the implications for privacy and civil liberties of our programs to protect our nation from all acts of terrorism.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board was created by Congress nearly a decade ago and this amendment strengthens its role in ensuring that our government thoroughly considers the personal privacy and civil liberties of American citizens as we continue to fight global terrorism,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cThis provision will strengthen the PCLOB\u2019s authority to independently assess intelligence programs through the prism of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.\u201d\r\nAnother amendment, authored by Senator King and cosponsored by Senator Collins, would require the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to designate outside \u201cAmicus Curiae\u201d or \u201cFriends of the Court\u201d to provide independent perspectives and assist the court in reviewing matters that present a novel or significant interpretation of the law.\r\nSpecifically, the provision authorizes the Court to consult with independent outside experts such as a special counsel or experts on privacy and civil liberties, intelligence collection, telecommunications, and any other area that may lend legal or technical expertise to the Court. The goal of the provision is to ensure the Court has access to the expertise necessary to oversee sensitive intelligence programs and safeguard the Fourth Amendment protections guaranteed by the Constitution.\r\n\u201cThere is no question that the United States must take steps to combat terrorism and other threats to our security, especially in a day and age when intelligence gathering is often our primary weapon to prevent it,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cAt the same time, the Constitution guarantees the protection of privacy, and consequently the struggle in recent years has become how to properly balance the two. By creating a process whereby the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court can turn to independent outsiders with specific expertise in areas such as privacy or telecommunications, we will take a vital step forward in ensuring the legal and technical implications of these programs are scrutinized appropriately.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is an important judicial check on the collection and use of foreign intelligence information that is unique among countries,\u201d said Senator Collins.\u00a0\u201cThis amicus curiae will ensure that when the Court needs a second opinion on the material presented by the Executive Branch, that it has the explicit authority to secure one.\u00a0 This provision further strengthens the independent judicial oversight regarding requests from the Executive Branch for intelligence activities that have implications for privacy and civil liberties.\u201d\r\nBACKGROUND ON COLLINS AMENDMENT: The amendment will ensure the Board receives a copy of any application to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and any resulting court order that contains a significant or novel interpretation of the law and is related to counterterrorism.\u00a0 Senator Collins first established the PCLOB, along with former Senator Joe Lieberman, in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.\u00a0 The amendment also provides explicit authority for the Board to assess the implications for privacy and civil liberties of any FISA Court applications the Board receives.\u00a0 Finally, the amendment also requires the Board to conduct an annual review of NSA collection programs conducted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.\u00a0\r\nThe Board is an independent, bipartisan agency within the executive branch comprised of part-time members and a full-time chairman.\u00a0 The Board is vested with the responsibility to authority to provide advice to the President and executive branch agencies and departments on policy development and implementation, as well as to oversee certain actions, regulations, policies, and procedures of the executive branch.\u00a0 For more information about the Board, please visit www.pclob.gov\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-intelligence-committee-passes-collins-king-amendments-to-increase-oversight-and-accountability-within-intelligence-community"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8111840579658747, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}