Interestingly enough, Edward Snowden DID spark an extremely useful debate without risking his story getting buried and his voice silenced. There are certainly good people in Congress who have been supportive of Snowden and his revelations, but as a whole, its track record in defending whistleblowers who report waste, fraud abuse, and illegality is abysmal.
GAP’s Jesselyn Radack noted she has taken four whistleblowers to Congress and nothing was done.
Just ask GAP client Tom Drake, who tweeted: “I went to Congress as w’blower on 9/11 intel, mass surveillance & $Bs in fraud. Covered up & I got targeted as threat”
Eric Holder: Edward Snowden Could Have Sparked ‘Useful’ Debate By Taking NSA Concerns To Congress
Huffington Post
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Regardless of what the former attorney general says, the DOJ has made clear its stance has not changed on Snowden, despite the fact that his revelations led to significant civil liberties victories in the courts and legislature.
DOJ: No change in stance on Snowden despite Holder remarks
CNN
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The public wouldn’t even have known about the systematic bulk data collection if not for Snowden. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Violations of your rights go much deeper than bulk data collection.
The Shocking Scope of the NSA’s XKEYSCORE Surveillance
The New American