Young Shares Thoughts Following Passage of USA Freedom Act
Legislation Ends Government’s Dragnet Data Collection, Protects Civil Liberties & Privacy of American Citizens
Washington, D.C.,
June 2, 2015
Washington, D.C. – Alaska Congressman Don Young today issued the following statement after passage of H.R. 2048, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act (USA FREEDOM Act), in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan legislation, supported by Congressman Young and 337 of his colleagues in the House, works to protect the Constitutional rights of law abiding citizens by reining in the dragnet collection of data by the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies.
“Like many Americans, I was extremely troubled by our government’s collection of phone data from law-abiding Americans,” said Congressman Don Young. “Since its discovery, I’ve worked tirelessly with my colleagues to ensure the freedoms of every day Americans are protected and that Congress provides proper oversight on what these government agencies are really doing. The line between civil liberty and national security is often tested, and I am not alone in thinking that this leaked NSA program blurs that line considerably. I have consistently voted against extending key parts of the PATRIOT Act because I believe certain authorities granted by the Act are too broad and could be abused by government personnel, as we are now seeing. H.R. 2048 is a firm step towards restoring liberty and privacy for Americans by ending the government’s bulk collection of phone records and other data, while also requiring greater oversight, transparency and accountability to programs that ensure the safety and security of the nation.
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