Heinrich Statement On USA FREEDOM Act Advancing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after voting for the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act of 2015. The bill cleared an important procedural vote tonight by a vote of 77-17.

"I’m pleased Republicans joined with Democrats to do what’s responsible and support the passage of the USA FREEDOM Act. This is a bipartisan compromise that would ensure that our intelligence community has the tools it needs to focus more narrowly on the records of actual terrorists, and end the bulk collection of law-abiding Americans' private phone calls.

"But the USA FREEDOM Act passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-led House of Representatives weeks ago. It’s disappointing that the failure of Senate Republican leadership has once again led to dysfunction at the eleventh hour that was completely avoidable.

"We can and we must balance the government's need to keep our nation safe with protecting our Constitutionally guaranteed liberties."