During an interview on MSNBC this week, June 12, Montana's Junior U.S. Senator Jon Tester claimed that National Security Administration leaks provided by Edward Snowden likely did not damage U.S. Security.

"First of all, Snowden probably shouldn't have done what he did, but I don't see how that compromises the security of this country whatsoever," Tester claimed.

Tester also claimed he did not know about the PRISM program or the metadata collection of phone records before the leaks because he "did not sit on that intelligence committee."

"I'm of the belief that we have to fight terrorism," Tester said. "We have to use the tools we need. But we have to protect our civil liberties too. Freedom is what this country was founded upon, and I think we need to do both. But in order to do both we need to have an honest debate, an honest discussion about this issue."

Tester also said he hoped that the leaks would lead to a debate about these issues on the Senate floor.

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