Patrick Leahy: “They always do this. We heard in the press that there has been surveillance of Vermonters who protested the war. I can…”

“They always do this. We heard in the press that there has been surveillance of Vermonters who protested the war. I can save them money. Turn on C-SPAN. I do it all the time on the Senate floor, if they want to find a Vermonter who may protest the war. The question here is a greater one. What right does our Government-- our Government, which is there to serve all of us--have to spy on individual Americans exercising their rights? Of course, go after terrorists, but to go after terrorists, you can do it within the law. The distinguished occupant of the chair, the Presiding Officer, is also a former prosecutor. She knows how we have to go to court and follow the law for search warrants or anything else. In this area of foreign intelligence, we have made it very easy and very quick for the government to go before special courts, FISA courts. Let's do that, because when this administration or any administration says they are above the law, they don't have to follow the law, they can step outside the law, they don't have to follow checks and balances, then I say all Americans, no matter what your political leaning might be, all Americans ought to ask why are they doing this, why are they doing this. Because it doesn't in the long run protect us, not if we let them take away our liberties.”