{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-torture-covert-wars-and-illegal-surveillance-more-often-than-not-harm-not-enhance-our-national-security", "MURPHY: TORTURE, COVERT WARS  ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT HARM, NOT ENHANCE, OUR NATIONAL SECURITY", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MURPHY: TORTURE, COVERT WARS & ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT HARM, NOT ENHANCE, OUR NATIONAL SECURITY\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201cCongress needs to step up and reclaim its role as a co-equal branch to the executive in setting American foreign policy\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 9, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee\u2019s report on the CIA\u2019s detention and interrogation program.\r\nThis report makes clear what we\u2019ve known for years. The \u2018enhanced interrogation\u2019 techniques used by the Central Intelligence Agency in the years after 9/11 clearly constitute torture, and should never have been authorized by an agency of the U.S. government. Chairwoman Feinstein and her staff have worked tirelessly to reveal the details of this program to the public, and I applaud their efforts. The CIA\u2019s obstructionism and interference with a Congressional investigation have only demonstrated the urgent need for more robust oversight of our nation\u2019s intelligence programs. \r\nNow, it is important that this report does not go to the shelf to collect dust. Congress needs to step up and reclaim its role as a co-equal branch to the executive in setting American foreign policy. Torture, covert wars, and illegal surveillance more often than not harm, not enhance, our national security. America cannot be the world\u2019s leader on civil liberties and human rights if our actions don\u2019t match our rhetoric. When this gulf exists between what we claim to stand for, and what the world sees us do, it creates bulletin board material for extremist groups in their effort to recruit against us.\r\nCongress needs to set a new course for this country in the world \u2013 a course that recognizes the mistakes of the past, like our torture practices of the past decade, and builds a better path for the future.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-torture-covert-wars-and-illegal-surveillance-more-often-than-not-harm-not-enhance-our-national-security"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5363728161901236, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}