Richard Burr: “I thank the vice chairman of the committee, and I say to those who are opposed to this, I have great affection for all…”

“I thank the vice chairman of the committee, and I say to those who are opposed to this, I have great affection for all of you. They have passion which really displays their belief that the American people need to be protected from government. Let me just say from the start, this is the single most reviewed program that exists in the Federal Government. This is reviewed congressionally--it is reviewed by the courts, it is reviewed by the DNI, it is reviewed by the inspector general and the Department of Justice--because, on the committee, we realize this requires not just the stamp of approval from Congress but the assurance by the Intelligence Committee and by every branch of government that it lives within the parameters we set. I am not sure everybody could have heard a more thorough description than what Senator Warner just gave and a more overwhelming voice of support than what the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Grassley, gave, but let me take head-on a couple of issues that have come up and claims that have been made on this floor this afternoon. One is, this is unconstitutional. Well, let me just be clear. This has been tested in the courts, and the courts have ruled this program is lawful, and it is constitutional. So any claim outside of that is not a claim from the Judiciary, which we trust, it is a claim from an individual, and I believe we should, in this case, trust the courts.…”