Cruz: Federal Court's Decision Highlights Obama Administration's Continued Disregard For Civil Liberties

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement regarding U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon's ruling that the NSA phone metadata program is likely unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment:

"The government has no business conducting overbroad surveillance of ordinary, law-abiding citizens. At the same time, we must provide for national security and thwart terrorist plots against our homeland and our citizens.

"Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has failed in both regards. It has repeatedly been unable to connect the dots when there's credible evidence of threats in preventable terrorism cases, as with Major Hasan at Fort Hood or with the Boston bombers. And, at the same time, the Administration seems to consistently favor undermining the rights of law-abiding Americans, such as by targeting citizens with the IRS.

"The NSA's massive data mining program raises serious civil liberties concerns, and Judge Leon deserves praise for giving the program a close review. The Senate too must carefully scrutinize our surveillance programs to ensure that they protect American citizens without infringing on their constitutional rights."

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