WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement today:

“As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I intend to closely scrutinize the procedures and diligence of our government when it comes to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court orders, including those associated with phone records. I will also be asking tough questions about provisions included in the USA PATRIOT Act, especially including questions about whether the data necessary to protect us can be collected in a focused manner, and I will not vote to extend those provisions unless I am satisfied that procedures are in place to protect the rights of Americans. As we seek to prevent terrorists from killing our citizens, it is vital that we never infringe upon the blessings of liberty guaranteed to us in the Constitution.”

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