U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) believes the Biden administration “weaponized” the FISA courts to spy on American citizens.
“We know that under Biden the federal government’s weaponization extends to spying on American citizens,” Moore said on X. “This abuse of power led to my no vote on FISA due to my requirement for a warrant being stripped out of the process.”
We know that under Biden the federal government’s weaponization extends to spying on American citizens.
This abuse of power led to my no vote on FISA due to my requirement for a warrant being stripped out of the process. @JudiciaryGOP pic.twitter.com/JNXnG9qoHX
— Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) April 8, 2025
Moore was the only member of Alabama’s Congressional delegation to vote against the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) last year.
“I refuse to support legislation that allows the intelligence community, who has recently spent its resources weaponizing against pro-life grandmothers, concerned parents at school board meetings, Catholics, and Biden’s political opponents, to freely spy on American citizens,” Moore said at the time.
RELATED: Barry Moore speaks out against surveillance bill before passage by U.S. House
Rep. Moore brought up the issue again during a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.
Moore questioned Gene Schaerr, General Counsel for Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability, on the issue during the hearing Tuesday.
“The reason why I was a no vote is I thought there should be a warrant requirement,” Moore said. “Would you agree with that?”
“Absolutely,” Schaerr responded.
“And so that was stripped out at the end and that was a tough vote for many of us,” Moore said. “We wanted to do what we could to renew this thing.”
Moore said everyone understands that the U.S. government spies on Americans all the time.
“When I got to D.C. they wanted to issue me another government phone,” Moore continued, “and I said, ‘I think you just need to put everything on one phone.’ And they’re like, ‘Sir if we do that we’re going to know everything that’s on your phone,’ and I thought to myself, ‘Like you don’t already, right?’ So as we’re going through these hearings we understand they’re spying on U.S. citizens without warrants.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee