Bill Nelson: “the subject about which the Senator from Maryland speaks is a subject of enormous gravity to this country. We have been…”

“the subject about which the Senator from Maryland speaks is a subject of enormous gravity to this country. We have been laboring with this issue in the Intelligence Committee. The issue is coming to a head with regard to this nomination for Attorney General. Clearly, the policy of this country has to be, clearly: There can be no torture. At the same time, we have a world out there with a great deal of bad guys who are trying to do harm. It is important for us, when they are in our custody, that we get their cooperation in order to get the information in order to protect our country. How to strike that balance with no torture while still able to adequately get the information in the debriefing sessions--or interrogation, if you will--is the delicate balance this country must face and answer that question. America is a beacon of light to the world. We have to be different. The people who crafted that Constitution of ours said we are going to be different from the rest of the world, and we are going to protect freedom of speech and of religion and of assembly and of the press. We are going to protect our citizens from intrusion into their privacy by the Government, unless there is a check and balance of a separate branch of Government, a judge in the judicial branch, granting an order called a warrant so the Government can invade the privacy of the citizen.”