Issue Position: Civil Liberties & Social Justice

Issue Position

In 2013, the sweeping collection of innocent Americans' personal data by the National Security Agency was revealed. This disregard for the protection of our civil liberties and privacy rooted in the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution, flies in the face of those from generations past and present who have given their lives to protect the freedoms that make our country great. Some of them were my friends. All of them are comrades-in-arms. It's my love for our country, and my understanding of the need to be maintain a strong national defense, that motivate me to strike the necessary balance between freedom and security, by reforming our surveillance practices, and better focusing the resources we have toward proven methods of eliminating threats to the American people.

In 2014, I will sponsor legislation and work toward reforms that bring about positive changes, such as the USA Freedom Act, that seek to better meet the balanced responsibility of protecting our civil liberties, and ensuring a strong national defense.

Source