Dan Coats: “I come to the floor today to discuss recent national security leaks by a former NSA contractor by the name of Edward…”

“I come to the floor today to discuss recent national security leaks by a former NSA contractor by the name of Edward Snowden. His name is known now throughout the world. Some have praised Snowden as a hero and a whistleblower. I do not. Anyone who violates their sworn oath to not disclose classified information and then leaks national security documents that compromise our intelligence operations and harm our country's ability to prevent future terrorist attacks should neither be called a hero nor a whistleblower. What Snowden has done borders on treason, and I believe he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. President, it is no secret we have a serious trust deficit in this country with the Federal Government. I understand the concerns and the fears of my constituents and the American people relative to some of the things that have occurred here that lead them to question their trust in their elected officials or in their government. There has been a series of scandals over the past several months, including but not limited to the IRS targeting conservative groups, the actions of Attorney General Eric Holder, and the ever-changing responses from this administration regarding the attacks on Americans in Benghazi. We still don't have the full story, and the narrative keeps bouncing around with change after change after change. So I understand this distrust the American people have about anything that comes out of Washington, DC.…”