Udall: President's Support of My NSA Reforms a Historic Victory for Constitutional Rights, White House Should Act Immediately to End Dragnet Collection

Press Release

Mark Udall, a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, welcomed the president's proposal today to rein in the government's domestic surveillance powers and urged the White House to take immediate steps to stop bulk phone records collection. Udall, who has fought to rein in NSA bulk collection since 2011 when he pushed to amend the Patriot Act, said the president's proposal includes many of the reforms that Udall has led the fight to pass. These reforms include ending the NSA phone records dragnet, requiring an individual court order to obtain such records going forward and not requiring phone companies to hold data longer than they currently do.

"I'm glad the president has embraced my bipartisan legislation to end the dragnet collection of Americans' private phone records. For years I have felt like a voice in the wilderness pushing to end government surveillance overreach and protect our constitutional rights. The president's proposal is proof that my years-long effort is delivering results for Coloradans," Udall said. "While I continue to push my colleagues to pass this plan, the president should use his authority to immediately end the dragnet collection of phone records and require an individual court order to obtain such records."

Udall has been leading the bipartisan effort to rein in the NSA's domestic surveillance programs, protect Americans' privacy rights and ensure intelligence agencies are held accountable. Udall also has repeatedly pressed intelligence officials on the need to reform domestic surveillance programs and protect our constitutional right to privacy.

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