07/26/13 As part of the House-passed Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 2397), Congresswoman Jackie Walorski supported an amendment offered by Congressman Richard Nugent to stand up for the privacy rights of American citizens in light of recent revelations regarding NSA surveillance.
“American citizens must be protected from overreaching government infringement,” said Walorski. “While I firmly believe in maintaining a strong national security to keep our nation safe, it is unacceptable for government agencies to overstep their bounds and encroach on the privacy rights of American citizens.”
The Nugent amendment prohibits funds from being used by the NSA to target a United States person or acquire and save contents of their communications, including emails and telephone calls.
This measure specifically includes “any electronic communication” as a protected communication from federal surveillance. The Nugent amendment passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, with a vote of 409-12.
Excellent idea.
To protect our students form the misuse of data from Common Core we should have an IN Student Data Protection Law…and after that a Citizen Data Protection Law.
Dear Ms. Walorski.
I really wish you would have looked deeper under the covers at this legislation — in short a waste of time — it doesn’t reach anything. What should have been supported was the Amash amendment which actually would have accomplished something.
For those reading that don’t know the specifics, let me point out this article which clarifies this:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130723/01361323896/dueling-house-amendments-over-cutting-nsa-surveillance-funding-one-is-red-herring-to-trick-congress.shtml
What I would suggest would be in the best interest of the American people is a uniform data protection law (as is in effect in most other parts of the civilized world — because it was clear that big data was going to be abused — even by businesses). I know it has a snowball’s chance in Heck, but one can dream.