On the recordJune 24, 2013
for more than a decade the government's ability and authority to gather information and electronic communications data about those suspected of, or connected to, potential terrorists has greatly increased. You only need to read the newspaper or listen to the news in order to realize how extraordinary this expansion has been. As an American, I believe that if the government is going to have such powerful authorities, it should only be if there is proper oversight, accountability, and transparency. We have to ensure that we maintain both our Nation's security and the fundamental civil liberties upon which our Nation was founded. I have long been troubled by the expansive nature and scope of the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act. There is not enough oversight and ability for Americans to know what their government is doing and be able to get into the debate of whether they want their government to do this. That is why I have consistently fought to include strong protections for the privacy rights and civil liberties of American citizens, as well as sunsets to help ensure proper congressional oversight. Nothing focuses oversight like knowing a law is about to come to an end. So I will introduce at the end of my remarks, along with a bipartisan group of Senators, the FISA Accountability and Privacy Protection Act of 2013. In fact, those of us who are introducing this legislation go across the political spectrum.…
