Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) issued the following statement today after voting for HR 2048, the USA Freedom Act, which passed the House of Representatives 333-88.
“I am very gratified to see USA Freedom Act pass the House today with strong bipartisan support and am proud of the work my colleagues and I on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees did to craft this strong bill. Following closely on the heels of the ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, this should send a clear statement that the days of bulk data collection should come to an end. I strongly encourage the Senate to take up and pass it as soon as possible.
“My first priority will always be the safety and security of the American people, but I am convinced that law enforcement agencies will be able to do their job without casting an overly broad net that significantly threatens our citizens’ privacy and liberty. These new limitations, combined with greater transparency and oversight of FISA courts and other data-collecting agencies, strikes the right balance between privacy and national security.