The libertarian Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), leader of the House Liberty Caucus, tells The Hill that President Barack Obama's suggested reforms to the way the National Security Agency collects bulk data may actually make a bad situation worse:
Amash told The Hill that he wants the Judiciary Committee to pass Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr.'s (R-Wis.) "USA Freedom Act," which goes further than the administration and Intelligence leaders to curb the NSA's surveillance programs. The bill from Sensenbrenner, a primary author of the 2001 Patriot Act, would stop the bulk collection of phone records and require data collection to be tied to a specific investigation. "We don't have enough information about the administration's proposal to really understand where they're going with it," Amash said Wednesday. "We've seen some of what the House Intelligence Committee has put out. … Based on what I've read about it, it appears to expand the NSA's authority," he said. "It doesn't end bulk collection but actually puts more Americans in danger of having their constitutionally protected rights violated."
Amash told The Independents Wednesday that the USA Freedom Act would pass the House if it were brought up for a vote:
Nick Gillespie interviewed Amash last year.
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