On the recordJune 2, 2015
My neighbor and good friend, Judge Ted Poe, brings a very important point to the floor tonight. In this new era of expanding technology that now intrudes on every aspect of our lives, it is very important to remember the admonition that Benjamin Franklin gave us--that those who would surrender a little freedom to gain a little safety are soon going to find themselves with neither. I do find it instructive that we are here on this House floor looking at George Mason, who is on the right here, who refused to sign the Constitution because he was so concerned the Federal Government would become omnipotent and obliterate the rights of individuals and the rights of the States to control those issues that deal exclusively with the States. My favorite Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, was keenly aware of and concerned about the power of the Federal Government. We are entering into a whole new era now where the government has got the ability to intrude on every aspect of our life. I share Judge Poe's concern. I support his amendment, and I urge the House to support it. If the FBI has a court order, if the National Security Agency gets a court order, I believe they could get access to what they need to get access to. Just like cracking a safe. In fact, I asked this question, if I could, of Director Comey in front of our subcommittee. He said these new iPhones--I dropped my iPhone 5 and had to get a 6--he said these can't be cracked.…
