Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr (R – NC) has slammed last week’s Appeals Court ruling that the NSA metadata surveillance program was illegal.

Sen. Burr insisted the program, which allows the NSA to collect telephone metadata on all Americans, had never intruded on anyone’s privacy, and said the program had to be continued.

“That turns us back to pre-9/11,” Burr insisted during an interview on ABC’s This Week, citing the May 3 shooting in Garland, TX as proof of the need to stay vigilant, though of course this shooting was not prevented by the surveillance scheme.

The court ruled that the program was illegal, but didn’t not order it halted, saying it could continue illegally until Congress weighs in on the matter. Sen. Burr seems to plan on leading the charge to keep the surveillance going.