November 12, 2019
Contact: Jessica Jones
jjones76@gmu.edu
703-993-8061
“Reauthorizing The USA Freedom Act Authorities: Keeping Our Nation Safe In A Hostile Terrorist Threat Environment”
Arlington, VA – On November 12, 2019, the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School published its latest NSI Law and Policy Paper, “Reauthorizing The USA Freedom Act Authorities: Keeping Our Nation Safe In A Hostile Terrorist Threat Environment,” by NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer.
This NSI Law and Policy Paper:
- Describes legal authorities that support U.S. counterterrorism efforts set to expire soon.
- Evaluates the necessity of these authorities and the protections relevant to these intelligence tools.
- Argues that these intelligence gathering tools ought be reauthorized.
- Provides recommendations to ensure that the government is able to confront terrorism threats and protect civil liberties.
“Letting the key counterterrorism authorities contained in the USA Freedom Act expire would be a huge mistake, so Congress should act swiftly not only to reauthorize the three key authorities—lone wolf, roving wiretaps, and business records—but ought also make them permanent, while also preserving the call data records program and providing additional authority to allow the government to test new technologies and approaches in that program,” said Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Founder and Executive Director.”
The paper is available here.
Mr. Jaffer’s bio can be found here.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its visiting fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.