On the recordMay 13, 2015
I thank the distinguished gentleman from Michigan. Mr. Speaker, in a democracy, there must be a balance between effective national security protection on the one hand and a healthy respect for privacy and civil liberties interests on the other. This is a balance that traces all the way back to the founding of the Republic. It is rooted most prominently in the Bill of Rights, in the Constitution, in the Fourth Amendment. Yet, in its zeal to protect the homeland, our national security apparatus overreached into the lives of everyday, hard-working Americans in a manner that was inconsistent with our traditional notions of privacy and civil liberties. This overreach was unnecessary, unacceptable, and unconstitutional. By ending bulk collection through section 215, we have taken a substantial step in the right direction toward restoring the balance. More must be done, but I am going to support this legislation because of the meaningful effort that has been made to help strike the appropriate balance.
