Rep. Chu Statement on USA Freedom Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee passed the USA Freedom Act, which ends the bulk collection of information under section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, the FISA pen register authority and national security letter statutes. The bill was passed by a bipartisan vote of 25 to 2. Rep. Chu, who voted for the bill, released the following statement:

“Keeping Americans safe from terrorist attacks in an age of electronic communications requires new tactics. But it is clear that the NSA’s bulk data collection went too far in compromising the privacy of American citizens. Without sacrificing our security, today’s bill is an improvement. No longer can the NSA indiscriminately collect data on such a large scale. And the USA Freedom Act actually strengthens rule of law by requiring the FISA court to give a voice to civil liberty concerns while also increasing transparency. These changes are essential to maintaining the balance between national security and individual privacy.

“While I am pleased we could find a bipartisan solution to the troubling NSA program, this is not the end of the discussion. There are still concerns about the amount of data collected, how long it is held onto, and how it can be used that must be addressed by Congress moving forward. I will continue to urge Congress to tighten the our nation’s surveillance laws and ensure that all Americans get the constitutional protections they deserve.”