DOJ’s Actions Risk Both Less Security and Less Liberty

Posted: December 18th, 2016

By Senator Ron Wyden

Ron Wyden is a Democratic U.S. Senator from Oregon. He is ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee and sits on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a number of other committees. His relentless defiance of the national security community's abuse of secrecy forced the declassification of the CIA Inspector General's 9/11 report, shut down the controversial Total Information Awareness program and put a spotlight on both the Bush and Obama Administration's reliance on secret law. Wyden has led the congressional fight against unnecessary and invasive government surveillance programs. Wyden holds a Bachelors degree with distinction from Stanford University and earned his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law

On December 1, Congress authorized sweeping new government hacking and surveillance authorities by allowing changes to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to take effect. Republican leaders stonewalled bipartisan efforts in the Senate and the House to stop or delay the change and it went into effect without congressional hearings, without meaningful congressional debate and without the public fully knowing the consequences of this change. That is exceptionally troubling.

Put simply – Congress does not know the extent of what the Rule 41 changes will mean for Americans.

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