Duckworth runs afoul of Constitution

Duckworth runs afoul of Constitution

Much coverage has been given recently to The NSA domestic spying program, including X-Keyscore unit where emails and Internet postings are being tracked by the NSA, but Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth is still silent on the issue.

Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan recently introduced a bipartisan amendment to the U.S. Department of Defense Appropriations Act that would have stopped the NSA from continuing this unconstitutional practice. It failed in the House by a razor-thin margin. If just a few representatives had changed their votes, the outcome would have been different.

Sadly, among those who voted to continue spying on the American people was my Eighth District Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth. It bothers me that a congressperson who ran on civil liberty talking points would give the go-ahead for obviously illegal surveillance. The Fourth Amendment that protects our right to privacy and defends us from random searches is the law of the land, not a suggestion.

I commend both Republican and Democratic leaders for trying to limit the NSA abuses. It’s a shame members like Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth contradict the Constitution she swore to uphold.

Allen Skillicorn

East Dundee