Political Quotes

“Here in Congress we have just been spending a lot of time and energy discussing NSA surveillance. The American public--and now, Members of Congress in both Chambers--have spoken clearly that the kind of bulk data collection the NSA has engaged in needs to be stopped. However, there is a corresponding change that we need to make with regard to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In a series of revelations from 2013 to 2015, it came to light that the DEA had for more than 20 years been gathering a vast database of information on America's personal communications. There was no congressional authority for this program and no oversight by Congress or any area of the Federal Government. Legal experts who weighed in after the program was finally made public have said without hesitation that the program was illegal. In 2013, the Department of Justice brought this program to an end, but there is nothing to stop the government or the DOJ from resuming it at will unless Congress acts by inserting this language in the appropriations bill. Without this language, the DEA could once again unilaterally sweep up the communications records of millions of Americans. There is no reason that, as we work to end the unconstitutional surveillance that the NSA has engaged in, we should continue to allow the DOJ to have the very same abuses. This is a corresponding piece of legislation to something that already passed the House with regard to the NSA by an overwhelming majority.…”