Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act.

As Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, my priority is our national security and to protect Americans from foreign threats. Our Intelligence Community agencies at times purchase what is known as ``commercially available information'' from data brokerage companies to gather information on foreign spies and bad actors, and to protect America from malign foreign influence. When they purchase this data, they cannot be certain that it is entirely free of any U.S. citizen's information. In order to protect citizens, agencies are already required to take steps to ensure that this incidentally obtained data is removed.

However, these data brokerage companies collect the personal information of Americans through their social media profiles, public records, and other commercial sources. They then sell this information to companies, organizations, or any entity with an interest in collecting data on American citizens--including foreign adversaries like China, Russia, or even cartels. H.R. 4639 would do nothing to keep any of these other entities from exploiting and sharing American's data.

Instead of prohibiting our own intelligence agencies from accessing commercially available information to obtain foreign intelligence, we must take steps to address the broader vulnerability of Americans' data. Congress needs to take steps to protect Americans, not undermine our Intelligence agencies and put the United States at a deep disadvantage against our adversaries.

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