A conversation with Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen on the reauthorization of FISA Section 702

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is one of the true workhorses of American intelligence law, producing an immense range of intelligence for the President, the intelligence community, and law enforcement elements across the American government. It has also become increasingly controversial, and it will expire on December 31 of this year unless Congress reauthorizes it. Can the administration work with an increasingly fractious Congress to get this done? What would happen if 702 expired? And in a world more concerned with great power conflict than with counterterrorism, is it even necessary?

On February 28, the Governance Studies program at Brookings hosted Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who delivered prepared remarks on FISA 702 reauthorization. Following his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Olsen was interviewed by Brookings Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes and took questions from the audience.

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