FISA Court Appointments, Potential Reforms, and More from CRS
It was announced today that Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Judge James E. Boasberg of the DC District Court to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a seven year term beginning in May 2014. He will replace the outgoing Presiding Judge Reggie Walton, whose term expires in May. The Chief Justice also appointed Judge Richard C. Tallman of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.
The current membership of the FISA Courts can be found here.
Background information on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and potential changes to its operations were discussed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See Reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts: Procedural and Operational Changes, January 16, 2014.
Relatedly from CRS, see Introducing a Public Advocate into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s Courts: Select Legal Issues, October 25, 2013
Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: Security and Human Rights Issues, January 26, 2014
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012 and Beyond: Detainee Matters, January 27, 2014
Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress, January 29, 2014
Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances, February 4, 2014
Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations, January 30, 2014
Status of Mexican Trucks in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions, January 3, 2014
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Background, Legislation, and Policy Issues, January 23, 2014
The human cost is measured in deaths. The financial cost is measured in the $52 billion taxpayers pay annually end stage renal disease – double NASA’s budget.
Gilman Louie, Longest Serving Board Chair of the Federation of American Scientists, Named Chair Emeritus
The proposed Office will resurrect the long-closed Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), the archive of which has been maintained by FAS for decades at https://ota.fas.org/.
If Congress needs help understanding the risks and rewards of a piece of technology, they shouldn’t have to rely solely on the sparknotes from a salesman. The rub is much simpler: Congress needs nerds.