(NationalUSNews.com) — The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, recently testified before Congress about an increased risk of terrorist attacks on United States soil due to the growing hostilities within the Middle East. During his address to American lawmakers, Wray referenced the recent Moscow concert hall attack, claiming that ISIS could carry out a similar attack on American soil. Wray also expressed his belief that other militant groups in the United States could carry out similarly heinous attacks inspired by ISIS-K’s recent attack on Russian citizens.
Wray alerted Congress about a potential attack on United States soil while calling for lawmakers to re-authorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This controversial policy grants the United States government the authority to monitor non-citizens and their communications overseas to limit the possibility of domestic threats. The act is intended to be restricted to non-citizens using United States communication platforms but doesn’t limit the government’s ability to monitor American citizens using the same platforms. Republicans widely oppose FISA due to former President Donald Trump’s outspoken opposition to it and the potential abuse of power it could grant federal authorities.
Republican lawmakers have expressed their conditions for allowing the FISA to pass, claiming that unless lawmakers add an amendment to the act that grants Americans protection from surveillance, they’ll oppose the policy. Although Wray argues that the act would grant federal authorities the ability to prevent attacks like the Moscow concert shooting, lawmakers are hesitant to enact the controversial act. Wray claims that Congress should reenact the bill due to the growing threats to the United States, which he claims are at an all-time high.
While attempting to convince Congress about re-enacting the FISA, Wray claimed that he hadn’t seen so many active threats to American citizens at any other point throughout his decades-long career. According to Wray, by re-enabling federal authorities’ ability to spy on non-citizens, Congress could help prevent a tragedy like the one in Russia. Despite Wray’s claims, Trump’s outspoken opposition to the act will likely prevent the Republican majority in the House of Representatives from supporting the controversial measure.
Republicans aren’t the only ones opposing FISA. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also advocated against Congress re-enacting the bill. According to the ACLU, the law would result in the federal government monitoring American citizens without warrants or probable cause. Although Wray claims that FISA is the only way to protect Americans from a potential terrorist attack, federal authorities have an uphill battle if they want Congress to support the controversial policy.
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