And, another email from another Senator:

July 15, 2013

Dear Mr. Pope,

Thank you for contacting me regarding intelligence gathering activities at the National Security Agency (NSA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) provides a framework for the government to obtain judicial approval to conduct wiretapping or searches or to otherwise access records while gathering foreign intelligence information. In 2008, I supported an effort to modernize the then 30-year-old FISA in order to allow us to effectively monitor terrorist communications overseas. At the same time, I recognized the privacy concerns that many Missourians had regarding these new provisions. That is why I voted in favor of several measures that would protect our national security without violating the constitutionally protected privacy rights and civil liberties of law-abiding Americans. These included requiring the government to obtain a warrant whenever the target of surveillance is a U.S. citizen and bolstering the authority of the FISA courts to oversee the eavesdropping activities of the National Security Agency.

On June 5, 2013, the British newspaper, The Guardian, published a classified FISA court order directing Verizon Wireless to provide the NSA with telephone records of Verizon Business Network Services customers. In addition, national intelligence officials have confirmed the existence of a program within the NSA aimed at collecting information on foreigners overseas from the nation's largest Internet companies. Both of these programs are consistent with current law.

Threats to our nation's security are real, and there are terrorist organizations around the world who actively seek to harm or damage the United States and her citizens. We must be vigilant in ensuring that our country remains strong and effective in our response. To that end, we need to make sure that our intelligence agencies have the tools they need to prevent terrorist attacks and keep America safe.

At the same time, we must ensure that those in our government who have been entrusted to handle some of our nation's most highly-classified national security information are upholding their oaths to do so. I am a strong proponent of accountability within government, and there are appropriate and legal avenues available to individuals who have concerns about classified programs and information. However, it is important to remember that we are looking for balance between our intelligence gathering being effective and our intelligence gathering being transparent. Classified information that is improperly disclosed can do real harm to our national security and could risk the lives of American citizens. In June, 2013, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight, I co-chaired a hearing examining the vetting process used for federal employees and contractors who have access to sensitive information. There are some clear gaps in the current system, and I will continue my work to ensure these processes are effectively catching those who cannot be trusted with access to classified information.

We all agree that intelligence gathering tools must be consistent with American values, and all intelligence-gathering activities must be done within the constraints of the law. All laws, including FISA, must pass constitutional muster. Please know that I will continue to monitor this matter to ensure that we gather intelligence in a manner that strikes the right balance between advancing our national security interests, keeping Americans safe from terrorist attacks, and protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the American people.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.

Sincerely,

Claire McCaskill
United States Senator

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