{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt_chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-on-the-release-of-recommendations-by-the-presidents-review-group-on-intelligence-and-communications-technologies", "Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),  Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Release of Recommendations by the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies", "2013-12-18", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.18.13\n\t\t\t Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),  Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Release of Recommendations by the President\u2019s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tComment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),  Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Release of Recommendations by the President\u2019s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies December 18, 2013\r\n[Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released the following comment Wednesday after the White House released recommendations from the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies to reform the nation\u2019s broad surveillance laws.]\r\n\u201cThe message to the NSA is now coming from every branch of government and from every corner of our nation:\u00a0 You have gone too far.\u00a0 The bulk collection of Americans\u2019 data by the U.S. government must end.\u00a0 This momentous report from the President\u2019s closest advisers is a vindication of the efforts of a bipartisan group of legislators that has been working for years to protect Americans\u2019 privacy by reining in these intelligence authorities.\u00a0 I welcome the report and call on the President to immediately consider implementing the recommendations that can be achieved without legislation.\r\n\u201cI will continue to push the USA FREEDOM Act to end the dragnet collection of Americans\u2019 phone records and recalibrate the government\u2019s surveillance authorities.\u00a0 I have invited the members of the President\u2019s Review Group to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next month, and look forward to discussing their important recommendations.\u201d\r\n# # # # #\r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act\r\nSeveral recommendations from the President\u2019s review group align with provisions in the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act, a bill authored by Senator Leahy that has drawn broad support from across the political spectrum and a host of technology companies, trade associations and nonprofit organizations.\r\nThose provisions include:\r\nAn End To Bulk Collection of Americans\u2019 Communications Records\r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act ends bulk collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, in light of the massive intrusion on Americans\u2019 privacy and the lack of evidence of its effectiveness, and instead allows only more targeted searches.\u00a0\r\n \r\nStricter Safeguards on National Security Letters\r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act places significant limits and safeguards on the use of National Security Letters, and includes judicial review of nondisclosure orders.\r\n \r\nProtections\u00a0 For \u00a0Americans\u2019 Communications Collected Under the FISA Amendments Act\r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act closes NSA\u2019s \u201cback door\u201d access to Americans\u2019 communications by requiring a court order to search for the communications of Americans in data collected without individualized warrants under Section 702 of FISA.\r\n \r\nReforms To the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court\r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act creates a Special Advocate tasked with promoting privacy interests in the FISA Court\u2019s closed proceedings and addresses the problem of \u201csecret law\u201d by establishing a process for public release of FISA Court opinions containing significant legal interpretations.\r\n \r\nIncreased Transparency and Oversight\r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act permits Internet and telecommunications companies to report publicly basic information about their participation in NSA surveillance programs.\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nThe USA FREEDOM Act requires the government to provide new public reporting on FISA implementation and the use of National Security Letters.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tPress Contact  David Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 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": ["http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt_chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-on-the-release-of-recommendations-by-the-presidents-review-group-on-intelligence-and-communications-technologies"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0131750497967005, "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"}