This week, Montana Senator Steve Daines chose to “Stand with Rand” as Kentucky Senator and Presidential Candidate Rand Paul engaged in a ten hour quasi-filibuster of the U.S. Patriot Act and the NSA’s bulk phone data collection program. Here’s how Senator Daines started his speech on the Senate floor.

"Threats to America's civil liberties and Constitutional freedoms remain ever-present," Daines said. "As my colleague from Kentucky is well aware, I spent more than twelve years in the technology sector before being elected to congress," Daines said. "I know first hand the power that big data holds, I also know the great risks that arise when this power is abused."

Daines said he had received over a thousand letters of concern about the NSA’s data collection system and read this letter from a man named “Adam” from Missoula:

"I am writing to ask you to allow section 215 of the Patriot Act to expire on June 1 of this year. While it is only one provision of the larger problem, it would at least begin to curtail the surveillance of Americans. As Americans we should be free to communicate without the threat of the government monitoring those communications. Wanting to hide your life, to keep your life private, does not mean you have something to hide."

Daines is a cosponsor of the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, which would put Stricter limits on the NSA’s Data collection programs and is currently up for debate.

 

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