Rep. Paul Cook Votes to Protect Americans' Privacy

Press Release

Today, Representative Paul Cook (R -- Apple Valley) voted in favor of H.R. 3361, the USA FREEDOM Act. This bill seeks to uphold the basic rights of all Americans by ending the bulk collection of phone data.

This legislation increases transparency and re-establishes a proper balance between privacy and security. It does this by requiring that the Government must use a specific selection term when collecting foreign intelligence information. Furthermore, it includes provisions requiring that Congress and the public are informed about intelligence collection methods by requiring public notification of the specific selection terms as interpreted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Said Cook, "As a nation, one of our great challenges in the post 9/11 world is striking a balance between liberty and security. While we expect the government to protect us against terrorism, many Americans are uncomfortable with bulk collection of personal data. This bill preserves law enforcement's ability to gather intelligence on terrorists, while putting an end to secret laws and ensuring that Americans and Congress have the information we need to hold our intelligence agencies accountable."

Source