当前位置: Language Tips> VOA听力

US Congress Mulls Future of Federal Bulk Data Collection

VOA 2015-05-12 12:13

分享到

 

Get Flash Player

US Congress Mulls Future of Federal Bulk Data Collection

This week brings increased pressure on U.S. lawmakers to reform or reauthorize the National Security Agency’s ability to gather domestic telephone records for anti-terrorist purposes, because the program expires at the end of this month.

A federal appeals court ruled so-called “bulk metadata” collection illegal but did not order a stop to the program launched in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

Even before last week’s court decision, some in Congress were urging reform of domestic spying.

“I believe we have to protect our national security, but we also have to protect our civil liberties that make us unique as a country,” Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said.

NSA leaks

Exposed by fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the program caused a firestorm when Americans learned of vast telecommunications monitoring by a shadowy U.S. agency.

Last year, President Barack Obama pledged what he called “a new approach.”

“The United States is not spying on ordinary people who do not threaten our national security, and we take their privacy concerns into account in our policies and procedures," Obama said then.

Moments after the court ruling last week, several Republicans rushed to defend the program, which reportedly collects and stores phone records but not the content of calls made.

“The NSA can find connections from known terrorists overseas and connect them to potential terrorists here in the United States. Critics of the program either want to do away with it or make it much more difficult to use," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Ending the program is unthinkable, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said. “We are going to keep America safe. We are not going to revert back to where we are susceptible to another 9-11," he said.

Others see a threat to privacy.

“I say the phone records of law-abiding citizens are none of their damn business," Republican Senator Rand Paul. He also announced in early April he is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Commitment to transparency

That the debate is unfolding at all shows America’s commitment to transparency, according to President Obama.

“No one expects China to have an open debate about their surveillance programs, or Russia to take the privacy concerns of citizens into account. But let us remember: we are held to a different standard precisely because we have been at the forefront of defending personal privacy and human dignity," he said.

Many expect the Supreme Court will ultimately decide the constitutionality of bulk data collection.

In the meantime, Congress could extend the NSA program or reform it. Lawmakers of both parties say the stakes for national security, and civil liberties, are high.

(来源:VOA,编辑:王伟)

上一篇 : Progress made in fight against Ebola
下一篇 :

 

分享到

中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883561联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。

中国日报网双语新闻

扫描左侧二维码

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我们这儿都有!

中国日报双语手机报

点击左侧图标查看订阅方式

中国首份双语手机报
学英语看资讯一个都不能少!

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读
人气排行
热搜词
 
 
精华栏目
 

阅读

词汇

视听

翻译

口语

合作

 

关于我们 | 联系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版权声明:本网站所刊登的中国日报网英语点津内容,版权属中国日报网所有,未经协议授权,禁止下载使用。 欢迎愿意与本网站合作的单位或个人与我们联系。

电话:8610-84883645

传真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn