William F. Smith: “I support this legislation. Those who oppose the Terrorist Surveillance Program say that it violates civil rights, that…”

“I support this legislation. Those who oppose the Terrorist Surveillance Program say that it violates civil rights, that it sends the wrong message to U.S. citizens and foreign nations, and that it should be stopped. To the contrary, the Terrorist Surveillance Program protects Americans' lives and sends terrorists the message that we will use every legal means possible to defend ourselves. It should be continued, not eliminated. Before 9/11, information sharing between law enforcement and intelligence officials was almost non-existent. The hands of our criminal investigators and intelligence investigators were tied and they were unable to alert each other to terrorist threats. After 9/11, that was changed. Now some want to halt government programs that help intelligence officials figure out who wants to harm us. We cannot afford to return to a pre-9/11 status. We cannot dismiss the possibility of a terrorist attack. We cannot throw away the tools we need to protect us. And the Terrorist Surveillance Program is one of those tools. The 'Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act' allows the President to continue the Terrorist Surveillance Program. Let's keep our guard up and our defenses strong, and support this legislation.”