John Conyers actually said...

"This practice is explicitly prohibited by law--but with so much about these programs conducted in secret, we have no way of knowing for sure whether the government conducts itself lawfully."

"After all, we want to improve the laws. I know you are very generous in your compliments about the Congress acting on this originally. But for goodness sake, just to okay it again because we did it be..."

"There could be some reasonableness there to give----"

"I have no doubt that these programs are important to the executive branch, but Congress must have these answers before we can act responsibly."