The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | April 10th, 2024: FISA Debate Intensifies Amid Domestic Terror Threats & Biden's Woke State Department

Episode Date: April 10, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    We’ll look at the intense debate within the GOP over reauthorizing a controversial element of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, at a time when senior law enforcement officials are warning of a heightened risk of terror attacks in America. We’ll discuss the newest diversity officer at the Biden administration’s State Department, a radical activist who believes America is a "failed historical model" rooted in racism, patriarchy, otherism, and systems of oppression. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, we'll look at the intense debate within the GOP over reauthorizing a controversial element of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, at a time when senior law enforcement officials are warning of a heightened risk of terror attacks in America. Also, we'll discuss the latest hire by the Biden administration for the State Department's

Diversity Officer Post, who believes that the U.S. is a failed historical model, deeply rooted in patriarchy, racism, and otherism. Apparently, the only real qualification to become a diversity officer is that you must be able to recite at least a dozen examples of ism during the job interview. But first, our afternoon spotlight. A fight is brewing in the U.S. House of Representatives. Well, there's something new,

as the chamber considers reauthorizing a controversial law that intelligence agencies say is a key tool in their efforts to protect the American homeland from attacks. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently announced that the House will take up a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA reauthorization bill this week, despite fierce opposition, from the conservative wing of his party, along with progressive Democrats. Well, look at that, FISA, creating strange bedfellows. At issue is Section 702 of the FISA Act, which empowers the government to collect the communications of foreign targets outside the U.S. without a warrant, even if they're communications. communications are with an American citizen. Now, civil liberties hawks have long criticized the provision, citing potential overreach and insufficient checks and balances. Critics in Congress have been pushing an amendment that would require intelligence agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing any data on U.S. citizens. However, Speaker Johnson has signaled his opposition to this proposal,

and that's angering that caucuses more conservative members. Johnson's proposal would reauthorize Section 702 of Pfizer for five years, with the aim of imposing a series of reforms as time goes on to further guard American civil liberties. The House is expected to hold a procedural rules vote on the bill Wednesday afternoon, which will allow for a full chamber debate ahead of a final vote. The proposed amendment for additional warrant requirements, however, could throw a wrench into the works. While some House Republicans may favor reform, the proposal is not expected to find support in the Senate, Many Senate Republicans, along with the Biden administration, have warned that such reforms would gut the effectiveness of the FISA law, hamstringing law enforcement's ability to rapidly respond

to potential threats. Johnson echoed those concerns in a letter to colleagues on Friday, saying, quote, FISA and Section 702 have been essential to intercepting communications of dangerous foreign actors overseas, understanding the threats against our country, countering our adversaries and saving countless American lives. Our responsibility now is simple, maintain the tool but strictly prohibit future abuses, end quote. Those concerns are also shared by America's top law enforcement officials, including FBI director Christopher Ray. He said in a speech on Tuesday that the proposed FISA reform would be a gift to our many adversaries, warning, quote, the consequences of tying our hands are not merely hypothetical, end quote.

Ray pointed to the increased threat of Islamic terrorism inside the U.S., particularly as the war in Gaza rages on. Of particular concern, are ISIS-inspired attacks or operations linked to their affiliates like ISIS-K? Ray said, quote, foreign terrorists, including ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their adherents have renewed calls for attacks against Jewish communities here in the United States and across the West in statements and propaganda, the foreign terrorist threat, and the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, like the ISIS-K attack that we saw at the Russian concert hall a couple weeks ago, is now increasingly concerning, end quote. With conservative members of the House, GOP, like Matt Gates and Marjorie Taylor Green,

whipping up opposition to the bill, they do that a lot, they whip up opposition to things. It is unclear if Johnson will be able to thread the needle and send a reauthorized FISA bill to the Senate. On Tuesday, Gates promised to block the bill during the U.S. upcoming rules vote. Yeah, there's a good idea. Let's have critical U.S. counterterrorism strategy decisions made by grandstanding politicians with zero understanding or experience in counterterrorism. Look, it's not rocket science. Two things can be true at the same time. Section 702 can be a vital and important counterterrorism tool, which it is, and at the same time, it can be subject to abuse if not properly managed and overseen. So,

You would assume that rational and intelligent politicians on Capitol Hill could balance these two truths and agree to unask the sofa and do what they're supposed to be doing, ensuring the safety and security of U.S. citizens while also protecting civil liberties. Coming up after the break, we'll take a look at the newest diversity officer at the Biden administration's state department, a radical activist who believes America is a, quote, failed historical model rooted in racism and systems of oppressed. I'll be right back. Shopify can help with everything you need.

There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and all birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into... Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. I wanted to draw your attention to a recent staffing decision made by the U.S. State Department. Now, I know it doesn't sound like the most exciting of topics, but the State Department is the face of American diplomacy. It's the pointy end of the diplomatic spear,

and personnel there can have a significant impact on how the United States interacts and negotiates with other countries. Last week, Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, announced the appointment of a woman named Zakiya Carr Johnson as the State Department's new chief diversity and inclusion officer. Now, thank God they've got one. In his announcement, Blinken said that Carr Johnson would bring, quote, expertise and a fresh perspective on how we build a workforce that reflects America, end quote.

So, the world's on fire, and this is what the former Biden campaign strategist and now Secretary of State is partly focused on. Now, if you're not familiar with diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, well, I'm not sure where you've been hiding. The government is opening up DEI offices all across the federal bureaucracy, and that includes the Department of Defense, Labor, Interior, and others. Even the FBI and CIA are getting in on DEI. How many acronyms can I throw out in one's episode? As you would gather from the name, the stated goal of these offices is to promote a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment within government agencies. But aside from that stated goal, the reality is, well, they tend to be incubators for far-left activists and

progressives, which brings us back to the installation of Zakiya Carr Johnson at the state's Department and some questionable comments that she's made in the past regarding the United States. In a now-deleted article, what it's been deleted, that she wrote in 2019, while part of the feminist group called Fair Share of Women Leaders, Carr Johnson said that she believes America is a failed historical model with a colonizing past. She writes, quote, we cannot have equity without dismantling structural racism, patriarchy, and heterosexism. It will start with movements that compel us to ask uncomfortable questions. What does inclusion mean, for example, if white supremacy remains intact? End quote. In 2020, she made similar remarks at a feminist webinar, proclaiming that

the United States was, quote, deeply rooted in patriarchy, colonialism, racism, and otherism, end quote. I honestly don't have sufficient curiosity to look up the meaning of otherism. These comments are just the tip of the iceberg for Ms. Carr Johnson, who for years has championed critical race theory and intersectional feminism. So this raises an obvious question. Should someone with such a low opinion of their own country be representing the United States? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought the obvious question was, at what point do normal people stop pandering to the DEI grifters? Now, I suppose as long as there's money to be made, whether in federal funds, grants or from corporations,

fearful of being bullied or ashamed for their otherism, whatever that is, the DEI cottage industry will be there for the fat stacks. I suppose the saving grace here is that perhaps the State Department won't be parading Carr Johnson out at major diplomatic events and functions. You'd like to imagine that someone with that low an opinion of the country they're representing wouldn't get a chance to explain her beliefs to other nations diplomats, although I'm sure that Iran, Russia, China, North Korea, they'd all welcome her opinions. I'd like to hear where you think about this particular story.

Email me your thoughts on the State Department's new chief diversity and inclusion officer at PDB at thefirstTV.com. That, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, 10 April. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And be sure to check out our new premium membership at PDB premium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.