The Act's bulk data collection program didn't prevent the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, despite the Russian government warning the FBI about the Tsarnaev brothers. The program was also unable to halt the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, even though the shooter had been investigated by the FBI twice.

What's more, the broad language of the Act has led to abuse. In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency was collecting phone records of millions of Americans not suspected of any crime. That's a bit like burning down the haystack to find the needle, don't you think?

Not to mention the cost. The budget for the National Intelligence Program was $62.8 billion in 2020. That could fund a lot of education, healthcare, and infrastructure improvements. I agree the government has a duty to protect its citizens, but don't you think there might be a more effective and less intrusive way to do that?