The National Security Agency is collecting phone records of Verizon wireless customers. We dig through the legal implications of doing this, and if this truly is an effective way to counter terrorism, on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm.

Sen. Dick Durbin released the following statement in response to the news:

“For over a decade, we’ve debated how best to protect America from terrorism while preserving the most basic constitutional rights,” Durbin said. “Today’s revelation is disturbing, but it should not be surprising. I have tried to reform this provision of the Patriot Act for years, introducing legislation and offering amendments to ensure that secret demands for sensitive personal information on Americans limited only to those with some connection to individuals suspected of being involved in plots against our country. As I said when I offered my amendment in 2009, ‘someday the cloak will be lifted and future generations will ask whether our actions today meet the test of a democratic society – transparency, accountability and fidelity to the rule of law and our Constitution.’ Today that cloak has been lifted and this important debate must begin again.”

Read the USA Patriot Act in the PDF below. What are your thoughts about phone tapping and collecting information? Is it government intrusion or is it necessary to keep us safe? Share your comments below.

Related Links:

The New York Times article on U.S. Is Secretly Collecting Records of Verizon Calls

The Wall Street Journal article on Obama Defends Phone-Record Tracking as 'Critical Tool'

CNET article on NSA secretly vacuumed up Verizon phone records

Chicago Tribune article on Report: U.S. agency tracking Verizon customers

Highlights of the USA Patriot Act

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File Attachments:

The USA Patriot Act-Preserving Life and Liberty.pdf