The judges of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC, also called the FISA Court) are appointed solely by the Chief Justice of the United States. This single perspective might promote biased approval of warrants for the National Secrecy Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Of the 33,949 surveillance requests considered by the FISC, all but 7 of them were approved. This includes the controversial "call detail records" warrant leaked by Edward Snowden.
The Obama administration should amend the appointment process of the FISC so that citizens elect the judges, not the Chief Justice. This will keep the court's secret status while promoting fair rulings and reasonable warrants.



