[Cboldt]

What was Congress' understanding about the kind of monitoring where some of the parties to the conversation were overseas?

Congressional expression was protective of 4th amendment (requirement for a warrant) when the target of surveillance was a US citizen.

[airedale]

FISA applied to US persons not just citizens. US person included not only citizens but those here legally with permanent US visas. Others here in the US are not covered by the act. Of course FISA was passed in response to the Church Committee so it's going to be really hard on any kind of intelligence work. I'm going to make a trek in the next few days to the local Federal Depository Library to see what I can find in the Congressional Record.