[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          STAND UP FOR LIBERTY

  (Mr. YOHO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, the American people are losing trust in their 
government. The continuous dragnet collection of data by the NSA is 
just one of the many reasons why.
  Liberty and privacy are the foundations for which this country was 
established. Even though emails have replaced most handwritten letters 
and phone calls have replaced many face-to-face conversations, these 
principles still endure today.
  The administration defends PRISM and similar programs by relying on 
``warrants'' whose mere existence mocks the Constitution. The FISA 
Court proceedings where these warrants originate take place behind 
closed doors and cater only to the government's case for increased 
surveillance. In these secret, one-sided proceedings, no one is there 
to advocate on behalf of privacy and individual liberty. No one is 
there to advocate on behalf of the American people.
  With no requirements for public disclosure of the Court's decision, 
Congress and the American people are left in the dark. This is 
unacceptable. Maintaining a secure Nation can be done within the bounds 
of the Constitution. Privacy and national security are not mutually 
exclusive.
  That is why I am a cosponsor of the LIBERT-E Act, the USA FREEDOM 
Act, and the NASA Inspector General Act to help address many of these 
issues.
  I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate, both Republicans and 
Democrats, to stand up for liberty.

                          ____________________