WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement after the House passed the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 699), which updates and strengthens the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. McMorris Rodgers has been a proponent of this legislation since it was first introduced in the 113th Congress.

“1986 was a different time,” said McMorris Rodgers. “The writers of our original electronic privacy legislation couldn’t have possibly fathomed the growth and innovation we’d experience ten, twenty, now thirty years later. This law was written before the modern internet as we know it existed and is yet another example of legislation that is long overdue for an update.

“Today I voted to strengthen Digital Due Process, by requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing individuals’ emails. This update is a step in the right direction of modernizing laws and standards that reflect a 21st Century, confident America where ‘We, the People’ feel secure in our lives—and in our private information.”

NOTE: This morning McMorris Rodgers participated in a press conference discussing the Email Privacy Act. Click here to view.