By Stephen Dinan and Kerry Picket | The Washington Times
National security officials have mounted a full-court press in recent weeks to try to head off major changes to the government’s most important snooping authority, warning Capitol Hill that terrorists will benefit if lawmakers require the FBI to get a warrant before querying Americans’ names in its massive trove of data.
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray strove to drive home the dangers to Congress in appearances over the last month, telling them that the kinds of cases where the bureau is using the data — emails, texts, phone calls — to look for Americans’ information are too time-sensitive to wait for a warrant.
From stopping terrorist plots to spotting cyberattack victims to derailing the flow of fentanyl, he and other top officials said few areas of law enforcement aren’t affected by the government’s ability to collect reams of electronic data under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.