Kuster letter to President Obama follows troubling pattern of privacy violations at the NSA; letter calls on President to personally ensure that review is rigorous so that Administration can begin to restore public trust

Kuster: Review must be comprehensive, unsparing, and followed by meaningful reform

As troubling privacy violations at the National Security Agency (NSA) continue to come to light, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today called on President Obama to lead a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire NSA and all of its programs. In her letter, Kuster underscored that a comprehensive, unsparing review of the NSA is the only way for the Administration to begin restoring some of the public trust that has been lost in recent months.

“I respectfully request that your Administration conduct a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire NSA and all of its activities, and that you personally ensure that this review is comprehensive, unsparing, and followed by meaningful reform,” Kuster wrote. “Furthermore, I request that upon completion of this review, your Administration immediately take steps to share the results with the American people so that they can continue to play a leading role in the important national dialogue over the future of these surveillance programs. By conducting a top-to-bottom review of the NSA and advancing substantive reforms to its programs, your Administration can begin to repair some of the public trust that has been eroded by the recent cascade of troubling disclosures.” 

The full text of the letter is below:

November 1, 2013

Dear President Obama:

Earlier this year, in the wake of widespread reports of privacy violations by the National Security Agency (NSA), I joined 187 of my colleagues in urging you to consider implementing reforms that would strengthen the balance between our national security and Americans’ civil liberties.  Since then, a steady stream of deeply troubling revelations about the nature and scope of NSA activities has emerged, further eroding the public’s confidence in national security surveillance programs.

I continue to hear from constituents in my home state of New Hampshire who are gravely concerned by the growing number of reported privacy violations by the NSA, both in the United States and around the world.  I am writing to you today because I share those concerns and believe significant action is required to address them.

I know all Americans share an abiding commitment to keeping our country safe from terrorism and other threats.  But, the American people also rightly cherish our privacy and constitutionally-protected freedoms.

To help ensure that these rights are never violated and to bolster trust in our public institutions, I respectfully request that your Administration conduct a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire NSA and its activities, and that you personally ensure that this review is comprehensive, unsparing, and followed by meaningful reform. Furthermore, I request that upon completion of this review, your Administration immediately take steps to share the full results with the American people so that they may continue to play a leading role in the important national dialogue over the future of these surveillance programs.

My constituents and all Americans deserve an unshakable confidence that their government is respecting their privacy rights. By conducting a top-to-bottom review of the NSA and advancing substantive reforms to its programs, your Administration can begin to repair some of the public trust that has been eroded by the recent cascade of troubling disclosures. 

Thank you for your consideration of this request.  I look forward to continuing to work with you to strengthen transparency, accountability, and faith in our government.

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