USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005
USA PATRIOT AND TERRORISM PREVENTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 21, 2005)
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AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. FLAKE
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment, but I do not believe it is a good enough cure to make this sick legislation well.
I believe that most of what America needs to know about the PATRIOT Act is reflected in its deceptive title. Its authors deliberately designed a name to question the patriotism of anyone who questions them. Are you for patriotism, or are you against patriotism? Are you with America, or are you against America?
The American patriots who declared our independence in 1776 were true patriots who risked their lives in order to secure our liberties.
True patriots defend liberty.
Real patriots do not surrender our freedom, unless there is absolutely no other way to protect our lives.
Patriots demand accountability, restraint, and judicial review of encroachments on the freedoms that make our country unique.
While some portions of this proposed renewal of the PATRIOT Act strike the right balance, other provisions simply strike out. We must balance the demands of keeping our Nation secure with the freedoms that we cherish. We must not sacrifice our democracy in a misguided attempt to save it.
Wrapping this collection of misguided policies under the rubric "the PATRIOT Act" is a true mark of how really weak the underlying arguments are for this measure.
Surely we can secure our families' safety without becoming more like a police state, which would deny the freedoms that define us as Americans.
The dangerous road to government oppression begins one step at a time. It does not all happen at once. This bill, I believe, is a step in the wrong direction, a step in the direction of suppressing our freedoms. I believe that it is very important that we patriotically preserve our liberties and freedoms as Americans by rejecting the measure in its current form.
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