[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12205]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              DAINES SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF AMASH AMENDMENT

  (Mr. DAINES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, after spending 12 years in the technology 
sector--more specifically, cloud computing--I know firsthand the power 
that data holds. I also understand the potential for abuse and the 
threats to Americans' civil liberties that come with mass collections 
of data.
  Recent reports of the NSA blanket collection of Americans' phone 
records demonstrate the serious need for reforms to protect liberty and 
prevent abuse. That's why I'm proud to support Congressman Amash's 
amendment to prevent the NSA from using the Patriot Act to collect the 
records of Americans who are not subject to a Patriot Act 
investigation.
  This amendment helps protect law-abiding Americans from government 
overreach. The status quo is not unacceptable, and I hope this 
amendment will be a driving force for much-needed reforms and greater 
transparency and accountability.
  We've seen what Big Government looks like. No one would have thought 
that the IRS would turn against the American people, and yet here we 
are. We must always be vigilant and guarded against the overreach of 
power.
  I will continue fighting to defend liberty. I urge my colleagues to 
support this amendment and stand for Americans' Fourth Amendment 
protections.

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