Bipartisan Group of Senators Call on President Bush to Accept Senate Version of Patriot Act

Press Release

BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO ACCEPT SENATE VERSION OF PATRIOT ACT

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined a bipartisan group of Senators to call on President Bush to accept the Senate-passed bill to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act. The foundation of the compromise, which was approved unanimously by the Senate three months ago, was the Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act, a bill that Durbin introduced with Senators Larry Craig (R-ID), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and John Sununu (R-NH).

"The key question we are facing is can we be both safe and free. The Senate-passed bill strikes the right balance. The President has repeatedly called for Congress to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act. Now, he should call upon the House Republican leadership to accept the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate," Durbin said.

Like the SAFE Act, the Senate-passed bill retains all of the new powers created by the PATRIOT Act while placing reasonable checks and balances on these powers. Additionally, the Senate bill strengthens judicial oversight, protects privacy rights and enhances public and Congressional reporting on the use of controversial PATRIOT Act powers, like ‘sneak and peek' warrants.

Durbin added that the House of Representatives passed a flawed bill that would reauthorize the PATRIOT Act without sufficiently protecting the constitutional rights of innocent Americans. The House bill also includes controversial extraneous provisions that were not part of the original PATRIOT Act, are unrelated to the war on terrorism, and unnecessarily expand the government's powers.

"The Senate-passed compromise and the SAFE act have attracted support from across the political spectrum including organizations like the ACLU, American Conservative Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. The Senate bill shows that it is possible for Republicans and Democrats to come together to protect our fundamental constitutional rights and give the government the powers it needs. It shows that we can fight terrorism without changing the nature of our free and open society. It shows that we can be safe and free. It's time to get it signed into law," Durbin said.

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