Political Quotes

“yesterday the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly--with approximately 330 votes--to end the bulk collection of Americans' phone records. Last week a Federal court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled that the Federal Government's bulk collection program is illegal. The majority leader seems prepared to lead the Senate into reauthorizing an illegal program. He has spoken here on the floor in that regard. So how can one reauthorize something that is illegal? This is not a partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans are united in favor of reforming the National Security Agency and how they collect their data. The House, yesterday, as I indicated, voted in favor of reform, overwhelmingly, but Republicans in the Senate want to move forward without making any changes. I don't think so. The Republican leader is isolated in his desire for a clean extension of illegal spying programs. For example, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives, Mr. Goodlatte, said yesterday that if the House gets an extension of FISA--the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act--it will go nowhere. It is dead, according to the chairman. Republicans and Democrats have vowed to filibuster a clean extension if the Republican leader brings one to the floor. That is what is going to happen here in the Senate. I have heard extended statements by the junior Senator from Kentucky, who said that. There are others who feel the same way.…”