text: I'm proud to join Congressman Mark Sanford in introducing HR 3436, a bill to increase independent oversight of the #NSA.  Please SHARE his press release:  H.R. 3436: THE NSA INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT OF 2013   WASHINGTON, D.C. ?ÛÒ Yesterday, Representative Mark Sanford (SC-1), along with ten Republicans (including the rest of the South Carolina Republican delegation) and two Democrats, introduced H.R. 3436, The National Security Agency Inspector General Act of 2013, in the House of Representatives:   ?ÛÏWith information continuing to drip out regarding activities at the NSA that at best raise questions about the legality of their conduct and at worst are in direct violation of the Constitution, yesterday I introduced legislation to help correct this behavior, by making the NSA Inspector General (IG) position a presidential appointment, to be confirmed by the Senate,?Û? said Sanford. ?ÛÏThis process already exists at the CIA, Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.?Û?   ?ÛÏRight now, the IG is appointed by the Director of the NSA, which curbs their oversight effectiveness because the Director can remove them,?Û? added Sanford. ?ÛÏAs recently noted in an op-ed by the former IG of the CIA, Britt Snider, this lack of independence creates an environment where employees of the IG?Ûªs office worry about their careers if their findings and conclusions are critical of the agency.?Û?   ?ÛÏThere are a number of reforms that need to be made at the NSA to ensure the Agency is not violating the privacy of Americans, but without a robust IG office, these reforms will lack the teeth they need to be enforced. In this vein, I feel this legislation is a reasonable and necessary step that will help bring positive change to the Agency.?Û?   Representative Sanford was joined in introducing H.R. 3436 by the following original co-sponsors (listed in order of co-sponsorship):   1. Paul Broun (R, GA-10) 2. Mick Mulvaney (R, SC-05) 3. Alan Grayson (D, FL-09) 4. Kerry Bentivolio (R, MI-11) 5. Tom Rice (R, SC-07) 6. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D, DC) 7. Thomas Massie (R, KY-04) 8. Justin Amash (R, MI-03) 9. Trey Gowdy (R, SC-04) 10. Jeff Duncan (R, SC-03) 11. Joe Wilson (R, SC-02) 12. James Sensenbrenner (R, WI-05)