Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says claims the government needs to ramp up surveillance in the wake of the Paris attacks are “bull—-.”
{mosads}”So when they stand up on television and say the tragedy in Paris means you have to give up your liberty, we need more phone surveillance — bull—-!” Paul, a 2016 presidential contender, said during a campaign event at George Washington University on Thursday.
The attacks in Paris, which took the lives of at least 129 people, have renewed the debate over government surveillance and encryption of communications devices.
Legislation passed by Congress earlier this year will shutter the National Security Agency’s (NSA) phone data collection program on Nov. 29. Under the reforms, the government will need a warrant to obtain that data, which will be stored by phone companies.
But some Republicans, including another presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), are pushing to extend the controversial program.
The libertarian-leaning Paul has long criticized the NSA’s phone metadata collection.
Paul noted Thursday that the NSA’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone data is still running, under a six-month window to wind down the program.
Paul, who has opposed military intervention in the Middle East, is calling for a halt in visas for countries with “significant jihadist movements” following the Paris attacks.