Shortly after a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a National Security Agency program authorizing bulk collection of telephone data was illegal, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended the program on the Senate floor and sharply criticized a House-sponsored USA Freedom Act to revamp it.

“Not only have these tools kept us safe, there has not been a single incidence — not one — of intentional abuse of them,” McConnell said. “The NSA is overseen by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our government. They’re not running rogue out there. … The expiring provisions of FISA are ideally suited for the terrorist threat we face in 2015. … Section 215 helps us find the needle in a haystack. But under the USA Freedom Act, there may not be a haystack to look through at all.”