Political Quotes

“Any responsible effort to authorize section 702 must pass three tests: It must include a meaningful warrant requirement; It must end the ``abouts'' collection until Congress says otherwise; and It must not restrict the government's ability to collect intelligence on valid targets operating outside of the United States. The underlying bill does not include a meaningful warrant requirement, and it does not end ``abouts'' collection. The Amash-Lofgren amendment, on the other hand, passes all three tests: It includes a warrant agreement that comports with the Fourth Amendment; It puts an end to ``abouts'' collection; and It leaves the core functionality of section 702 perfectly intact. It would be harder to use this authority to spy on United States citizens, but the government's ability to gather intelligence on suspected terrorists and others overseas will not be affected. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment and make a meaningful change to section 702. Mr. Speaker, I thank the many sponsors of this amendment for their leadership in this important fight.”