2016 Democrats on NSA and Snowden

INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY 2016 Dem Position Hillary Clinton Senator: 2001-2009 Joe Biden Senator: 1973-2009 VP: 2009- Martin O’Malley Governor: 2007-2015 Jim Webb Senator: 2007-2013 Bernie Sanders Rep.: 1991-2007 Senator: 2007- Lincoln Chafee Senator: 1999-2007 Governor: 2011-2015 NSA Endorsed USA Freedom Act, which would roll back domestic surveillance. [MSNBC, 5/7/15] Supported scaling back domestic surveillance. [Atlantic, 2/25/15] 2006: Opposed bulk collection of metadata. [Business Insider, 7/5/13] Did not appear to oppose NSA surveillance. [Politico, 2/17/14] Believed bulk data collected on Americans not accused of terrorism or crime should be destroyed. [Richmond Times- Dispatch, 12/3/14] Opposed bulk collection of metadata. [Office of Senator Sanders, 5/7/15] Opposed bulk collection of metadata. [US News, 4/10/15] Snowden Said she could never condone Snowden’s leaks. [The Week, 2/25/15] Called Snowden a “fugitive of American justice” and urged Ecuador not to grant him asylum. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/29/13] Called Snowden an “internal threat.” [Associated Press, 7/9/14] Defended Snowden and said he deserved leniency. [USA Today, 1/6/14] Hinted he may be open to pardoning Snowden, and would announce a position on the matter. [US News, 4/10/15] MAY 2015: SECRETARY CLINTON ENDORSED A BILL TO ROLL BACK NSA SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS MSNBC: “Hillary Clinton Joined The White House In Endorsing A Bill To Roll Back Mass Surveillance.” “On the same day a federal court ruled against the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of telephone data, Hillary Clinton joined the White House in endorsing a bill to roll back mass surveillance. ‘Congress should move ahead now with the USA Freedom Act — a good step forward in ongoing efforts to protect our security & civil liberties,’ Clinton wrote on Twitter Thursday. The USA Freedom Act would end the NSA’s bulk collection of data under the Patriot Act’s controversial Section 215. The section is set to expire June 1 unless Congress takes action, and momentum is building around the rollback measure.” [MSNBC, 5/7/15] FEBRUARY 2015: SECRETARY CLINTON WAS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR ABOUT HOW SHE WOULD REFORM NSA PRACTICES, BUT SEEMED TO SUPPORT GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ADVOCATED A “BETTER BALANCE” Secretary Clinton: “I Think The NSA Needs To Be More Transparent About What It Is Doing, Sharing With The American People, Which It Wasn't.” “CLINTON: I think the NSA needs to be more transparent about what it is doing, sharing with the American people, which it wasn't. And I

think a lot of the reaction about the NSA, people felt betrayed. They felt, wait, you didn't tell us you were doing this. And all of a sudden now, we're reading about it on the front page…So when you say, ‘Would you throttle it back?’ Well, the NSA has to act lawfully. And we as a country have to decide what the rules are. And then we have to make it absolutely clear that we're going to hold them accountable. What we had because of post- 9/11 legislation was a lot more flexibility than I think people really understood, and was not explained to them. I voted against the FISA Amendments in 2008 because I didn't think they went far enough to kind of hold us accountable in the Congress for what was going on.” [Re/Code, YouTube, 2/24/15] Secretary Clinton: “I Voted Against The FISA Amendments In 2008 Because I Didn't Think They Went Far Enough To Kind Of Hold Us Accountable In The Congress For What Was Going On.” “CLINTON: I think the NSA needs to be more transparent about what it is doing, sharing with the American people, which it wasn't. And I think a lot of the reaction about the NSA, people felt betrayed. They felt, wait, you didn't tell us you were doing this. And all of a sudden now, we're reading about it on the front page…So when you say, ‘Would you throttle it back?’ Well, the NSA has to act lawfully. And we as a country have to decide what the rules are. And then we have to make it absolutely clear that we're going to hold them accountable. What we had because of post-9/11 legislation was a lot more flexibility than I think people really understood, and was not explained to them. I voted against the FISA Amendments in 2008 because I didn't think they went far enough to kind of hold us accountable in the Congress for what was going on. SWISHER: By flexibility you mean too much spying power, really. CLINTON: Well yeah but how much is too much? And how much is not enough? That's the hard part. I think if Americans felt like, number one, you're not going after my personal information, the content of my personal information. But I do want you to get the bad guys, because I don't want them to use social media, to use communications devices invented right here to plot against us. So let's draw the line. And I think it's hard if everybody's in their corner. So I resist saying it has to be this or that. I want us to come to a better balance.” [Re/Code, YouTube, 2/24/15] Clinton On NSA Bulk Collection: “I Want Us To Come To A Better Balance.” SWISHER: By flexibility you mean too much spying power, really. CLINTON: Well yeah but how much is too much? And how much is not enough? That's the hard part. I think if Americans felt like, number one, you're not going after my personal information, the content of my personal information. But I do want you to get the bad guys, because I don't want them to use social media, to use communications devices invented right here to plot against us. So let's draw the line. And I think it's hard if everybody's in their corner. So I resist saying it has to be this or that. I want us to come to a better balance.” [Re/Code, YouTube, 2/24/15] 2006: JOE BIDEN APPEARED TO OPPOSE BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA BY THE NSA IN 2006 Business Insider: In 2006, Then-Senator Biden Called Bulk Collection Of Metadata A Method Of Surveillance That Was “Very, Very Intrusive.” “Then-Senator Biden (D-Del.) argued that metadata is ‘very, very intrusive’ to the privacy of Americans and asked what may be the single most important question about National Security Agency domestic spying in light of the revelations facilitated by Edward Snowden...Biden's subsequent question — ‘What do they do with this information ... that does not have anything to do with Al Qaeda?’ — is highly relevant right now and critically important, given that the domestic surveillance program is ostensibly so that U.S. authorities can uncover and neutralize terrorism plots.” [Business Insider, 7/5/13] MARTIN O’MALLEY DID NOT APPEAR TO OPPOSE NSA’S BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA Politico On 2016 Candidates Weighing In On NSA Programs: “Christie And O’Malley Have Warned About The Dangers Of Retreating In The Battle Against Terrorism.” “Other potential 2016 contenders — ranging from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Md.) — have weighed in [on domestic surveillance]. Paul, who has taken a staunchly libertarian stand against the NSA

programs, filed a class-action lawsuit over the surveillance last week. By contrast, Christie and O’Malley have warned about the dangers of retreating in the battle against terrorism.” [Politico, 2/17/14] The National Security Agency Is Headquartered In Fort Meade, Maryland. [NSA, accessed 5/8/15] JIM WEBB SAID BULK DATA COLLECTED BY THE NSA THAT IS UNRELATED TO TERRORISM OR CRIME SHOULD BE DESTROYED Richmond Times-Dispatch: Webb Said “The National Security Agency Plays A ‘Vital Role’ In Protecting The Nation, But That Information It Has Collected On People Who Are Not Engaged In Terrorism Or Illegal Activities Should Be Destroyed.” “Webb also called for a debate about the power of the presidency when it comes to the ‘unilateral use of military force around the world.’ At home, he said, the National Security Agency plays a ’vital role’ in protecting the nation, but that information it has collected on people who are not engaged in terrorism or illegal activities should be destroyed.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 12/3/14] BERNIE SANDERS OPPOSED THE BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA BY THE NSA HEADLINE: “Bernie Sanders: It’s Time To End Orwellian Surveillance of Every American” [Time, 5/7/15] LINCOLN CHAFEE OPPOSED THE BULK COLLECTION OF METADATA BY THE NSA US News: “The National Security Agency’s Dragnet Collection Of Phone Records Violates Americans’ Fourth Amendment Rights, Chafee Says, Offering A Sharp Contrast To The Difficult-To-Discern And Vague Positions Of Other Prospective Democratic Candidates.” “The National Security Agency’s dragnet collection of phone records violates Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights, Chafee says, offering a sharp contrast to the difficult-to-discern and vague positions of other prospective Democratic candidates. ‘The words of the Fourth Amendment are very clear: You need a warrant. That’s strict language, and “no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,”’ he says. ‘It’s not complicated.’” [US News, 4/10/15]