[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           SPYING ON CONGRESS

  (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, last week The Wall Street 
Journal reported that the National Security Agency, the NSA, is 
actively spying on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of 
our Nation's closest allies. This revelation comes just 2 years after 
the President's announcement that the United States would cease spying 
on our allies.
  The Journal wrote: ``Officials said Obama insisted that keeping tabs 
on Netanyahu served a `compelling national security purpose.'''
  Specifically, the President sought to learn about President 
Netanyahu's opposition to the dangerous Iranian nuclear deal. In so 
doing, the NSA also intercepted personal, direct communication between 
Members of Congress, the Prime Minister, and his staff.
  An editorial by The Post and Courier--republished in The Hill this 
week--raised important questions about the legality of the NSA's 
sharing private conversations with the White House and not discarding 
or getting judicial permission. Regrettably, this is another example of 
the President's disregard for our Constitution by spying on Congress, 
corrupting the NSA.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and may the President, by his 
actions, never forget September the 11th in the global war on 
terrorism.
  Our sympathy to the family of Staff Sergeant Matthew McClintock, an 
American hero.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bost). Members are reminded not to 
engage in personalities toward the President.

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