Missouri congressman helps pass bill to limit NSA surveillance

U.S. Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) voted with the majority on Wednesday to pass the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring (USA FREEDOM) Act of 2015.

“Americans should not have to live in fear of ‘Big Brother’ monitoring their phone calls or tracking their online activity,” Long said. “Yet Americans should not live in fear of being a target of terrorists. We, in the House, have struck a balance between the two with the USA FREEDOM Act.”

The legislation would bolster the privacy rights of U.S. citizens and stop the National Security Agency (NSA) from practicing mass data collection on individuals. The bill also would establish strong oversight and require transparency that would reveal how the NSA uses any data it collects.

“Privacy is a paramount element of today’s civil liberties. It is our constitutional duty to make sure citizens are protected from both their government and foreign threats,” Long said. “Time and effort must be directed to those who truly seek to do harm. Fear of government and terrorists should never fall under the same category, and this bill makes sure that is the case.”