Senator Mark Udall: ‘Americans Don’t Know The Extent To Which They’re Being Surveilled’

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) said he did everything “short of leaking classified information” to bring attention to NSA surveillance. And though he’s not happy about the leaks that have revealed government tracking of Americans’ metadata, he wants to use this opportunity to reopen the PATRIOT Act.

“My main concern is Americans don’t know the extent they’re being surveilled,” Udall told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.” We hear this term metadata, which has to do with when you make calls, where you make calls to, who you’re talking to. I think that’s private information. I think if the government is gathering that, the American people ought to know it. We ought to have a discussion about it. And frankly I think we ought to reopen the PATRIOT Act and put some limits on the amount of data the National Security Administration is collecting.”

“Terrorism remains a real threat. But I think we also cue to the Bill of Rights,” Udall added.

“Let’s have a debate here. Let’s look at what’s really happening. It’s what I was trying to draw attention to two years ago.”

The senator distinguished between the two programs that have been making news. He said the so-called PRISM program has been “highly effective.” But he thinks the metadata collection of millions of Americans by the NSA requires further discussion in Congress now that these revelations have been made.