The NSA Admits Spying on Members of the US Congress. “Using Information to Blackmail Congress”
After Senator Bernie Sanders asked theNSA whether it spied on members of congress, the NSA responded:
NSA‘s authorities to collect signals intelligence data include procedures that protect the privacy of US persons. Such protections are built into and cut across the entire process. Members of Congress have the same privacy protections as all US persons. NSA is fully committed to transparency with Congress. Our interaction with Congress has been extensive both before and since the media disclosures began last June.
In other words: yes, we spy on members of Congress, just like all other Americans.
For contrast, here’s what NSA would have said if it wasn’t spying on Congress:
The Constitution provides for a separation of powers between the executive branch – which includes the NSA and its parent agency, the Department of Defense – on the one hand, and the legislative branch (i.e. Congress), on the other hand.
So the NSA is constitutionally prohibited from spying on members of Congress or their staff, and we go to great lengths to ensure that we faithfully discharge that constitutional duty.
So the answer is: no. We do not and never would spy on Congress.
Yeah, they didn’t say that at all. Instead, NSA lumped Congress members in with the great unwashed masses of the American public who they spy on every day.
The Washington Post writes:
The answer is telling. We already know that the NSA collects records on virtually every phone call made in the United States. That program was renewed for the 36th time on Friday. If members of Congress are treated no differently than other Americans, then theNSA likely keeps tabs on every call they make as well.
It’s a relief to know that Congress doesn’t get a special carve-out (they’re just like us!). But the egalitarianism of it all will likely be of little comfort to Sanders.”
Replies
....I wouldnt mind a device to listen to U.S. politician's conversations and see what they are up to and how much money they steal from common folk. I want to know which of them sell their services to foreign lobbiestsand interestes. I would definately like to know how many of them hired their uncles and nephews to do contracts instead of ligit buisnesses and of course I'like to know how much taxpayers cover their lush and outragous travels and lifestyles.....................So yes, NSA, release your findings to the public...........and thats what NSA should be used for , to bust corrupt and criminal public officials...............................
I would look at who financially supports these smucks. It's easy to find out who squeezes our elected officials. Simply look for large scale corporate donors now called people by the U.S. Supreme Court. I think that would be a needed highlighter in the news instead of having their privacy invaded. I believe that all elected officials should wear the names of their sponsors on their clothes, like they do in NASCAR.