«It's definitely problematic and chilling.»

«[The administration] has certainly demonstrated a desire to have carefully-controlled events.»

«We applaud those lawmakers, from both sides of the aisle, who have demanded the truth from the government. The rule of law has been broken, and Congress and the public have a right to know. Effective and public oversight can be done without compromising state secrets. The administration must stop using national security as a blanket reason to keep their illegal activities hidden in the shadows.»

«Our founders insisted on checks on presidential power to protect our nation's legacy of liberty. The Senate Intelligence Committee must transcend party politics and insist on facts, not rhetoric. The American people deserve the truth, not a whitewash by their elected representatives. Our security and liberty are far too important to be sacrificed in order to protect a president that has hidden from Congress and the public his decision that he need not follow the laws that protect the rights of ordinary Americans.»

«When presented with an honest representation, the American voter has serious concerns about the government's actions. Congress must listen and take steps to protect our Constitutional freedoms. The American people recognize that the rule of law must be followed by all - especially the president.»

«The Patriot Act debate has come a long way, but there is still more that needs to be done to protect the rights of ordinary Americans. It is clear that there is building skepticism about the administration's approach to national security and civil liberties, and the ACLU and its bipartisan allies will continue to speak out in defense of all Americans' fundamental civil liberties and constitutional rights.»

«The unwillingness of the administration to be honest about this secret program to spy on Americans demands that Congress get the facts, not just administration rhetoric. The truth can be determined without compromising national security. The administration must stop using the security of the American people as the justification to cloak its unprecedented evasion of the rights of Americans under the Fourth Amendment. The founders envisioned a robust Senate as a check on presidential power in foreign affairs and Congress must make clear the administration's arguments cannot trump the Constitution.»

«It's astonishing that this administration believes it can continue to claim that there have been no abuses of these powers when it hasn't even followed the law.»

«It's akin to the Soviet Politburo erasing people from photographs. The only reason we know most of these things are happening is that civil servants have observed these violations of the law and have bravely blown the whistle and told the press.»

«When a law has been broken, the proper response should be a full and independent investigation, not a cover-up. Congress must reject attempts to legitimize this illegal program, and instead insist that the truth be brought to light. No one, not even the president, should be above the law. The law should not be changed to protect politicians by making unlawful acts legal.»