After the Senate passed the USA Freedom Act this week, Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC) discussed the legislation, which shut downs the National Security Agency’s (NSA) collection of phone records used to search for terrorist threats under the Patriot Act.
Burr, who is the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, opposed the passing of the act.
“The evening news is a nightly reminder that our country is under constant threat from terrorist groups and established nations who will stop at nothing to see us fall,” Burr said. “We have a dedicated intelligence community, staffed by patriotic Americans, that does everything it can to protect our nation using tools that are legal, valid and effective.”
Under the terms of the USA Freedom Act, the NSA must phase out the data collection program within six months, at which time the records will be stored by phone companies and reviewed only in special circumstances.
“The amendments offered did not alter the structure of the House bill,” Burr continued. “They were reasonable modifications that extended the transition time to ensure that the new system was up to the task, and required the phone companies to notify the government when they planned on changing their data retention policies. I am disappointed in the final bill and, quite frankly, am very concerned about the new system’s ability to keep up with the threats we face.”