Press Releases

For Immediate Release                                                           Contact:
July 24, 2013                                                                              Susan Phalen  (Rogers)
                                                                                                    Susan.Phalen@mail.house.gov
                                                                                                    Allison Getty (Ruppersberger)
                                                                                                    Allison.Getty@mail.house.gov

                              Joint Statement by House Intelligence Ranking Member
                              C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Chairman Mike Rogers
                                           on the Defeat of the Amash Amendment

“The amendment defeated on the House Floor would have eliminated a crucial counterterrorism tool by dismantling a critical NSA program put in place in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The program addressed gaps in the nation’s ability to track terrorists planning attacks in the United States.  Over the years, it has proven effective in identifying and disrupting multiple terrorist threats and saving countless American lives.  

The charge that the program tramples on the privacy of citizens is simply wrong.  This program balances our duty to protect the privacy of our fellow Americans with the equal duty to protect the nation.  As the bill moves to conference with the Senate, we will work to foster stronger public confidence in the program’s privacy protections to ensure that we retain this important national security tool.”

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