USA FREEDOM Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last night the Senate voted to advance the House-passed FISA bill. We will have a vote on that legislation as soon as we can. On our way there, we should take some commonsense steps to ensure the new system envisioned by that legislation--a system we would soon have to rely upon to keep our country safe--will, in fact, actually work. The amendments filed last night would help do just that.
For example, one amendment would ensure that there is adequate time to build and test a system that doesn't yet exist. One amendment would ensure that there is adequate time to build and test a system that doesn't even exist yet. Another would require that once the new system is actually built, the Director of National Intelligence reviews it and certifies that it actually works. I will say that again. The second amendment would require that once the new system is actually built, the Director of National Intelligence reviews the new system and certifies that it will actually work. Amendment No. 3 would require simple notification if the providers decide to change their data-retention policies. It will just require them to notify us if the providers decide to change their data-retention policies. Three amendments to improve the bill.
These fixes are common sense, and whatever one thinks of the proposed new system, there needs to be basic assurance that it will function as its proponents say it will. The Senate should adopt these basic safeguards.
I had hoped to see committees working hard to advance bipartisan, compromise FISA legislation this week, which is why I had offered several temporary extensions of the existing program to allow the space for that to occur. But these proposed short-term extensions were either voted down or objected to, including a very narrow extension of some of the least controversial tools contained within the program that we are considering.
So this is where we are. It now falls on all of us to work diligently and responsibly to get the American people the best outcome that can be reasonably expected in this reality with which we are confronted. That is my commitment, and I know many of my colleagues share it as well.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
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