Daines Speaks in Support of Amash Amendment

HON. STEVE DAINES

OF MONTANA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

(Mr. DAINES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, after spending 12 years in the technology sector--more specifically, cloud computing--I know firsthand the power that data holds. I also understand the potential for abuse and the threats to Americans' civil liberties that come with mass collections of data. Recent reports of the NSA blanket collection of Americans' phone records demonstrate the serious need for reforms to protect liberty and prevent abuse. That's why I'm proud to support Congressman Amash's amendment to prevent the NSA from using the Patriot Act to collect the records of Americans who are not subject to a Patriot Act investigation. This amendment helps protect law-abiding Americans from government overreach. The status quo is not unacceptable, and I hope this amendment will be a driving force for much-needed reforms and greater transparency and accountability. We've seen what Big Government looks like. No one would have thought that the IRS would turn against the American people, and yet here we are. We must always be vigilant and guarded against the overreach of power. I will continue fighting to defend liberty. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and stand for Americans' Fourth Amendment protections.

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