[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6936-6937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 WHITE HOUSE ASSAULTS FREEDOM OF PRESS

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the expansion of Big 
Government is a threat to the American people. According to Politico, 
the administration:

     had obtained records that listed incoming and outgoing calls 
     and the duration of these calls for work and personal phone 
     numbers of AP reporters and phone lines for AP offices in New 
     York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington, as well as the 
     main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives 
     press gallery. The government seized

[[Page 6937]]

     records--which listed incoming and outgoing calls and the 
     call's length--for more than 20 separate lines assigned to 
     the AP and its reporters.

  The American people are losing their trust in the White House. The 
recent admissions reveal that the President and his administration will 
do whatever it takes to extend power, including violating First 
Amendment rights. Even the media is at risk of Big Government 
intrusion. Over the coming weeks, it's my hope that this is thoroughly 
investigated and those responsible will be held accountable.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

                          ____________________