FreedomWorks Statement on Senate Vote on McCain Amendment to Expand Warrantless Searches

Following an unsuccessful vote on the amendment offered by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to expand warrantless searches, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented:

“We agree that federal law enforcement should have the tools it needs to protect Americans. But these tools must respect the Fourth Amendment’s safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures. Federal law enforcement must be required to respect these protections and get a warrant before obtaining information about any American. We urge Majority Leader McConnell and Sen. McCain to abandon this effort to grow the surveillance state and undermine Americans’ constitutionally protected freedoms.”

On Tuesday, FreedomWorks released a key vote alert against the McCain amendment to expand warrantless searches. FreedomWorks will count the vote on this bill as a key vote when calculating its Congressional Scorecard for 2016. The scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes members of Congress who consistently vote to support economic freedom and individual liberty.

FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon coauthored a piece at the Morning Consult on Wednesday with the ACLU’s Karin Johanson on the dangers that warrantless searches present to the Constitution and the privacy of Americans. The piece can be found here.

FreedomWorks aims to educate, build, and mobilize the largest network of activists advocating the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty and the rule of law. For more information, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Jason Pye at JPye@FreedomWorks.org.