Williams Blasts Sestak For Spy Vote

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Craig Williams, a Republican running for Congress against incumbent Joe Sestak (D-Pennsylvania), criticized the incumbent Thursday for opposing permanent extension of a law allowing warrantless wiretapping of perceived terrorist communications overseas.

The Protect America Act (PAA), passed last August, would have been made permanent under a measure passed in the Democrat-controlled Senate last week. Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives, on the other hand, wanted to pass a 21-day extension of the act in order to reconcile the Senate bill with a House counterpart. They disallowed a vote on permanent extension and their temporary extension failed 191-229.

Mr. Williams, a former federal prosecutor and Marine combat veteran from Concord Township, lamented that the House's actions resulted in failure to renew legislation that he deems important to the tracking of radical Islamic terrorists.

"There was a bipartisan majority ready to pass the act and, through procedural mechanisms, the Democrats refused to let it even come to a vote," he said. "It's just not acceptable government."

House Democrats took particular issue with the immunity from lawsuits the PAA grants to telecommunication companies who cooperate with the governments efforts to keep foreign suspects under surveillance. They also believe that the House version more effectively safeguards against excesses by the executive branch.

"As a Congressman, one of my sworn oaths is to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States - a model of liberty and a beacon of freedom," Mr. Sestak said. "This new legislation will improve our intelligence gathering capabilities while safeguarding the liberties that make this nation admired all over the world."

The congressman pointed out that even without renewal, its provisions allowing American intelligence agencies to wiretap foreign terrorist suspects will continue for a year. He also said that without the PAA, wiretapping can still go on, although it must be warranted.

"Even if a new terrorist group is identified, the administration will have very broad surveillance authorities beyond the PAA," he said. "They merely need to come to the FISA Court and lay out their requests for a warrant; and if it is a time-sensitive matter, they can do wiretapping and delay coming to the [Foreigh Intelligence Surveillance Act] Court for three days."

Mr. Williams said he believed tracking of suspected terrorist communications in the United States requires a warrant but such a burden shouldn't be placed on intelligence agents listening to conversations taking place abroad.

"That act is about wholly international calls," he said. "I'm completely behind warrants for domestic wiretapping."

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