Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague from Kentucky for giving me the opportunity to ask a question. In the preface to that question, I would like to make a couple of remarks if he will yield to me for that purpose. My colleague from Kentucky has taken the floor tonight in the highest traditions of the Senate to make a point that should be meaningful to all of us who care about our democracy. My colleagues, including the Senator from Kentucky, have made a number of important points about the dangers of mass surveillance and the harms caused by the bulk collection of Americans' data. I agree with those who have pointed out that the USA FREEDOM Act is a strong compromise solution for protecting Americans' freedom and security at the same time as striking a balance between preserving our security and protecting our precious rights. I want to highlight for the Senator from Kentucky, in his very insightful remarks, as well as for my colleagues and others who are interested in this topic, a particular part of that legislation--the provisions that deal with the adversarial process in the FISA Court. The bulk collection program is a powerful example of why we need a stronger adversarial process. We know that bulk metadata collection is unnecessary. The President's own review group has made that clear. We also know that bulk metadata collection is un-American.…”