Vermont's two United States senators are applauding a federal judge's ruling that says the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' telephone records likely violates the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches.
Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders issued separate statements Monday after the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon in Washington.
The judge granted a preliminary injunction against the collection of the phone records of two men who had challenged it and said any such records for the men should be destroyed. But he delayed enforcement pending a near-certain appeal.
Leahy says Americans deserve an "open and transparent debate about the constitutionality, efficacy, and appropriateness of the government's dragnet collection programs."
Sanders says he believes the NSA is "out of control and operating in an unconstitutional manner."
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