French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined other European leaders Friday in declaring the latest allegations of U.S. spying could damage relations with Washington. According to a report for The Guardian based on leaked documents, the National Security Agency monitored the calls of as many as 35 heads of state. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday said that “the recklessness and illegal behavior of the NSA in terms of spying on governmental leaders around the world has become a national embarrassment and it is creating very serious problems in our relationships with the international community. 

“The Obama administration must work with Congress on strong legislation which reins in the NSA, protects the constitutional rights of all Americans and puts an end to the outrageous and overzealous abuse of the agency’s surveillance technology,” Sanders added.

“Countries throughout the world have got to work together in strengthening the global economy, combatting terrorism and addressing the planetary crisis of global warming.  The United States cannot help lead those efforts if our allies don’t trust us and if we take actions which increase anti-Americanism throughout the world.