Russ Feingold: “I oppose cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2248, as reported by the Senate Intelligence Committee. This bill is…”

“I oppose cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2248, as reported by the Senate Intelligence Committee. This bill is deeply flawed, and I am very disappointed by the decision to take it up on the Senate floor rather than the better bill reported by the Judiciary Committee. Before leaving town for the August recess, Congress bowed to pressure from the administration, and vastly expanded the Government's ability to eavesdrop without a court-approved warrant. That legislation, the so-called Protect America Act, was rushed through this Chamber in a climate of fear--fear of terrorist attacks, and fear of not appearing sufficiently strong on national security. There was very little understanding of what the legislation actually did. But there was one silver lining: The bill had a 6-month sunset to force Congress to do its homework and reconsider the approach it took. The Senate should be taking this opportunity to fix its mistakes and pass a new bill that gives the Government all the tools it needs to spy on suspected terrorists but also protects Americans' basic freedoms. This time around, the Senate should stand up to an Administration that time and again has employed fear-mongering and misleading statements to intimidate Congress. The fact is, the Intelligence Committee bill doesn't fix those mistakes, and it is not the bill we should be considering on the Senate floor.”