John Kerry: “I believe the FISA bill that passed the Senate yesterday could have and should have been a better bill. There is no…”

“I believe the FISA bill that passed the Senate yesterday could have and should have been a better bill. There is no charitable explanation for why the U.S. Senate failed to pass a bill that demonstrates at once that we can protect our national security and protect the Constitution of the United States and the rights of law-abiding American citizens at the same time. September 11 was a wakeup call for millions about a global struggle against extremism--and the need to modernize our Government to win that struggle. September 11 also began a debate in our country over how we can win the struggle against extremists without losing sight of who we are and what we value as Americans. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor described the challenge best: We must preserve our commitment at home to the principles for which we fight abroad. Congress has a duty to protect the American people--and to protect the Constitution. That is the oath we take. It is a solemn pledge. That is why this debate, and this vote in the Senate is so disappointing: This latest FISA law does not live up to the words we speak when we take that oath in the Senate.”