Earlier this week the House passed the so-called USA Freedom Act under the guise of reforming the NSA to prevent surveillance of innocent Americans. As I said on the House floor in opposition to the bill, it does no such thing.

The bill still allows the government to collect everything they want against Americans – to treat Americans as suspects first and citizens second. It still allows decisions about whom to target, and how aggressively to go after acquaintances of acquaintances of targets, to be made by mid-level employees, not federal judges.

Most important, the fundamental decisions under this will be made by a weak, inferior standard that does not reach the constitutionally required standard of probable cause, so that the government can spy on people based on weak suspicions.

In voting for the bill, some of my colleagues said, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” The perfect? How could any member of Congress vote for legislation that doesn’t uphold the constitutional standard of probable cause?

School Lunches After School Lets Out

About 480,000 New Jersey students from low and moderate-income families are eligible for free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunch at their schools. But as schools let out for the summer, many families will lose access to this key source of nutritional and financial support.

Fortunately, federally funded summer meal programs can help provide healthy meals to students throughout the year. In 2010 I helped write the law that increased funding for Summer Food Support grants, which help establish or grow summer meal programs. For a list of sites near you, visit nokidhungry.org/summersites or text “FOOD” to 877-877.

Left Behind

“Take the current expansion, which began in the second half of 2009. Gross domestic product is up 11 percent since then, corporate profits are up about 50 percent, and equity markets are up 80 percent. But both median and low incomes are down about 5 percent.” – Jared Bernstein, former chief economist to Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress