National Security, Privacy Likely To Be Topic At Foxx Town Hall

U.S. 5^th District Representative Virginia Foxx is holding a telephone town hall tonight. It comes at a time when Foxx is preparing another run for office and another challenge from within her party.

The difficult balance of privacy versus security is likely to be a topic during the telephone town hall. Last month, Foxx voted in favor of the USA Freedom Act. It ends the long-controversial gathering of surveillance by the National Security Administration. Critics - including many Republicans - believe even with its passage the government has too much power to access what should be private communications.

Foxx doesn't see it that way.

“I am very concerned about the terrorist threat to this nation,” she says.

The law bans the government's bulk collection of American's phone and internet data. But the government can still get some of that data from the phone companies if it can prove someone is tied to a terrorist organization. Foxx says it's a complex bill that has led to some misinformation.

“The federal government is not listening in to peoples' private telephone conversations. I think people have been misled about that. That is not being done,” she says.

But critics say the law doesn't go far enough to guard against the government spying on its own people. Pattie Curran is among those who have criticized Foxx for her vote. She's a Kernersville Republican who plans to run against Foxx in next year's primary.

Foxx also had a primary challenger in 2014, whom she defeated by a wide margin. When asked how Foxx felt about having another challenger next year, she didn't have much to say.

“It's a free country,” she says.