WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech on intelligence reforms today.
“I applaud the President for focusing on an appropriate balance between national security and civil liberties and for understanding that the American people are justifiably concerned about possible surveillance of their actions. I am pleased that the President laid out a plan for a comprehensive review of our nation’s surveillance programs and that he endorsed some of the commonsense ideas, like a public advocate within the FISA court, I have worked to advance during my time on the House Intelligence Committee. However, this review and the President’s actions must not serve to end the debate. The review must produce tangible results and lead to a narrowing of our surveillance programs. I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues to find the right balance between developing the robust intelligence capabilities we know are crucial to our national security and protecting the liberties the Constitution enshrines.”