TUSCALOOSA — U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) met face-to-face with President Donald Trump this week to discuss federal surveillance that Moore says could directly impact Americans' civil liberties.
Speaking at a lunch with the University of Alabama College Republicans, Moore described the meeting as a direct effort by Trump to bring skeptical Republicans into alignment on reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
"I got a call when I landed Tuesday… the president wanted me over," Moore told those in attendance. "There were about 12 of us in there."
Moore said he was invited in part because of his past opposition to FISA reauthorization, placing him among lawmakers concerned about how surveillance powers have been used on U.S. citizens.
"I voted against it before," Moore said. "We had hundreds of thousands of queries involving Americans. It was being abused." Moore said in reference to FISA being used against American citizens.
Now, however, Moore says his conversation has shifted from whether FISA should exist to how it should be fixed.
At the center of discussions is Section 702, a tool used to monitor foreign threats that can also sweep up communications involving Americans. Moore said the challenge is ensuring those powers remain intact for national security while preventing misuse that could affect everyday citizens.
Section 702 can only target non-U.S. persons outside the U.S., but communications of U.S. persons can sometimes be caught in those searches without a warrant.
"We're trying to work through a warrant process," he said. "And possibly penalties for agents who don't follow the rules."
Moore framed the conversation as an attempt to find a balance between privacy and protection, arguing that U.S. intelligence is highly reliant on FISA to identify threats before they reach the United States.
"A large portion of the president's intel briefings come from this," Moore said. "You shut that down, you're putting the country at risk."
Still, Moore acknowledged that past abuses have eroded trust, making reforms necessary to ensure Americans are not improperly surveilled, while also ensuring that he believes Kash Patel's FBI has not abused the system.
"We're trying to protect First Amendment rights while still keeping the tools we need," he said.
According to Moore, it was a "productive meeting," and he commended Trump's extremely direct approach to policymaking, and that he was impressive even "at his age."
"He's a dealmaker," Moore said. "He laid out what needed to happen and told his staff, 'Get it done.'"
With Congress temporarily extending FISA authorities to allow more time for negotiations, Moore stressed the need to ensure the system can be safeguarded against future abuses.
"We've seen the abuses drop," Moore said. "Now it's about making sure it stays that way."
Trenton Buffenbarger is a senior at the University of Alabama and is the Chairman of the UA Young Americans for Freedom.
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