National Security

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban directed at citizens of predominately Muslim nations. “I am deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision. As Justice Sotomayor said in her dissent, President Trump’s ‘policy now masquerades behind a façade of national security concerns,’ when we all know that he once championed this policy as a means of discriminating openly against Muslims,” said DelB... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) made the following statement shortly after President Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement with Iran. “President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran deal is a reckless move that undermines our credibility on the world stage, and worse, puts our national security at risk. We will no longer be able to maintain a watchful eye over Iran’s nuclear weapons program or keep them from t... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) opposed S. 139, a bill that extends the authority of government agencies to conduct warrantless searches of Americans’ private communications under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without any reforms. “Bulk collection of American communications records is a gross violation of our civil liberties and we must protect these communications from warrantless searches,” DelBene said. “Our first priority must always b... Read more

Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, of Vancouver, joined Washington’s six Democratic U.S. House representatives on Thursday in opposition to renewal of the federal government’s warrantless surveillance program. Herrera Beutler was one of 45 Republicans who voted against the bill, which reauthorized U.S. spy agencies to conduct surveillance on foreign targets abroad, but also to sweep up some communications by Americans. It was supported by Washington’s other three GOP U.S. House memb... Read more

The House of Representatives has passed a bill extending the National Security Administration’s warrantless surveillance program for six years, rejecting a years-long effort from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to make changes that would protect the privacy of American citizens. The law allows the NSA to obtain the communications of foreigners from American companies like Google and AT&T without a warrant, even if data on American citizens is swept up in the process. The law now faces a vote in ... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump today signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2018, which included part of Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Jaime Herrera Beutler’s (WA-03) Child Abuse Accountability Enhancement Act (H.R. 1103), closing a legal loophole that denies justice for some survivors of child abuse. “Anyone who falls victim to physical, sexual or emotional violence — particularly children — deserves the opportunity to seek justice, regardless of who abu... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today urged President Trump to form a joint commission and intensify America’s regional diplomatic strategy in order to effectively deal with North Korea. This week, Trump departs for a 12-day tour of Asia, visiting five countries. “Given North Korea’s increasingly provocative behavior this year, preventing North Korea from continuing its bellicose activities, including the proliferation of illegal nuclear weapons needs to be a top priority ... Read more

A bipartisan quartet of House members has reintroduced the International Communications Privacy Act (HR 3718), which would clarify the rights and limitations on law enforcement accessing electronic communications stored abroad. The bill would allow law enforcement to require the provider of an electronic communications service to turn over the contents of an electronic communication no matter where it is stored, but only pursuant to a warrant. That allows cloud storage of U.S. information abroad... Read more

The House today passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2018, which included Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s (WA-01) bipartisan Child Abuse Accountability Enhancement Act (H.R. 1103) to close a legal loophole that denies justice for some survivors of child abuse. The NDAA now heads to the Senate before reaching the President’s desk. “It is unacceptable that current law shields some convicted child abusers from paying the restitution they owe. Anyone who falls victim to physical, ... Read more

Congressional surveillance reform advocates are attempting to use the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to rein in post-9/11 warrantless mass surveillance programs. If the recent past is any guide, the House GOP leadership will do everything it can to ensure their amendments never get a vote on the House floor. Click here for the whole story. Read more