Water, water everywhere and not a drop for the premier National Security Agency data collection center—if one conservative lawmaker gets his way.
Cutting off the NSA’s water supply could effectively throw a wrench into the agency’s work collecting domestic phone and email records—and that’s just what Republican State Rep. Marc Roberts wants to do. His bill
would force the city to “refuse material support or assistance to any
federal data collection and surveillance agency.” That would mean no
more cheap water to aid mass domestic spying, a regular practice
unveiled by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden last year.
Roberts introduced the proposed legislation in February, but it’s gaining further consideration after the Senate blocked the USA Freedom Act on Tuesday, a bill that would have provided oversight into the agency’s questionable blanket bulk data collection.
The
NSA has an arrangement with the town of Bluffdale that allows the site
to purchase water at a discounted rate. Roberts’ bill grandfathers in
this agreement but, once expired, stems future cost-cutting deals
between the intelligence agency and Bluffdale or any other municipality.
Under
the impression that the NSA would abide by the constitution when the
massive compound opened last year, Roberts is dissatisfied.
"We all know and are aware that [the Constitution] has been violated," Roberts told the Tribune. If the NSA won’t follow federal law, Roberts says he will use state rules to protect his constituents’ privacy.
Posts
