Sen. Cruz Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Ban Bulk Record Collection
Opposes ‘clean’ PATRIOT Act renewal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement regarding the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 filed today. Sen. Cruz is an original co-sponsor of the bill:
"A clean reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act's bulk record collection program is not acceptable," said Sen. Cruz. "It is absolutely critical for Congress to balance the privacy interests of law-abiding citizens against the public's interest in national security. The USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 strikes the right balance by ending the National Security Agency's unfettered data collection program and implementing other surveillance reforms, while at the same time preserving the government's ability to obtain information to track down terrorists when it has sufficient justification and support for doing so. I am pleased to join with Senators Lee, Leahy, and others in this bipartisan reform effort, and I look forward to working with both Republican and Democratic colleagues to see that this bill crosses the finish line. Americans deserve nothing less."
The USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen. Cruz, and Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
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