Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) voted for legislation today to rein in the National Security Agency (NSA) and end the bulk collection of U.S. citizens’ data by the government. Wittman is a cosponsor of H.R. 3361, the USA FREEDOM Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 303-121.

“Congress must carry out its critical oversight role to ensure that the NSA and any other federal agency charged with the security of the United States and its citizens does not overstep the law or infringe on civil liberties,” Wittman said. “My top priorities are to ensure this country is safe and to ensure that the rights of American citizens outlined in the Constitution are upheld. We must strike the right balance between protecting citizens from attack and from intrusion on their privacy and their rights. H.R. 3361 imposes new limitations and safeguards to protect civil liberties while preserving only the most critical national security capabilities.”

H.R. 3361, the USA FREEDOM Act, makes reforms to intelligence gathering programs under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The bill ends the bulk collection and storage of Americans’ records by the U.S. government and will protect data of all types, including telephone and e-mail records, medical records, and firearms purchase records. The legislation requires the government to get the permission of the court to request information from providers using a specific selection term, in their request to the court, that limits the scope of information collected.

Wittman previously voted in favor of an amendment to H.R. 2397, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2014, which ensured no funds may be used by the NSA to target an American citizen or acquire and store the content of an American citizen’s communications, including phone calls and e-mails.

Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.

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