Al Franken: “thank you. I rise today to urge prompt passage of the House-passed USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 and to urge opposition to the…”

“thank you. I rise today to urge prompt passage of the House-passed USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 and to urge opposition to the amendments offered by the majority leader. Those amendments are unnecessary. They would weaken the bill in unacceptable ways, and they would only serve to prolong and deepen the uncertainty around the reform and continuation of important national security authorities. The House-passed USA FREEDOM Act is measured, compromise legislation that is the result of lengthy negotiations that bring much needed reforms to some of our surveillance authorities, ensuring that we safeguard Americans' rights while increasing the government's accountability. I am proud to have worked with Senator Dean Heller of Nevada to craft the bill's transparency provisions, which draw support from privacy advocates, the business community, and national security experts. The USA FREEDOM Act works to end bulk collection programs that our intelligence community has told us are not necessary. At the same time, the bill makes sure our national security agencies have legal tools that are necessary to protect our Nation. Put simply, the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 strikes the balance we need--making sure that our government can keep our Nation safe without trampling on our citizens' fundamental privacy rights.…”