Jeb Bush jumps into privacy fight, backs controversial NSA program

Former Gov Jeb Bush (R-FL) is putting his weight behind controversial spying programs at the National Security Agency, setting up a battle within the Republican Party ahead of the 2016 presidential race.

In a major foreign policy address at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the likely presidential candidate praised the NSA’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone data, which critics call a massive invasion of privacy. “This is a hugely important program to use these technologies to keep us safe,” Bush said. “For the life of me, I don’t understand [how] the debate has gotten off-track,” he added, while maintaining that program rules “do protect our civil liberties.”