Rep. Lipinski Responds to Reports of NSA Privacy Violations

Statement

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-3) issued the following statement today on reports the National Security Agency repeatedly violated privacy rules and sought to keep from disclosing the violations:

"I am extremely troubled by the latest reports alleging the National Security Agency repeatedly violated the privacy rights of Americans through the use of unauthorized surveillance. I am especially disturbed that the NSA, in violation of the law, potentially has actively sought to avoid disclosing these abuses, even if they are unintentional. If these reports are indeed true, they further point out the need to reform these security programs so all three branches of the federal government are actively involved in oversight and compliance so Americans can be assured their fundamental rights as citizens are not being violated. While I will always believe it is essential to protect the nation from terrorism, these disclosures about the NSA's practices only undermine the country's trust of those efforts. As an elected representative in Congress, I will be taking a hard look at these programs and making sure the necessary safeguards are in place to avoid abuse."

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