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Pelosi Statement on One-Month Extension of Patriot Act

Date: Dec. 22, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security


December 22, 2005

Pelosi Statement on One-Month Extension of Patriot Act

Washington, D.C. - The following statement by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on the USA Patriot was read into the record this afternoon on the House floor by Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin. Pelosi said House Democrats would not object to Republicans extending the Patriot act for one month, until Feb. 3, 2006. The one-month month extension passed the House and now goes to the Senate. Below is Pelosi's statement:

"Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to object to this one-month extension of the USA Patriot Act provision contained in this legislation. We would have preferred a three- or six-month extension to allow the American people a longer time to discuss the very serious impacts of these provisions on the civil liberties of the American people. But it appears we will only be given one month for that national debate.

"I also want it to be clear that this legislation involves only a small portion of the Patriot Act. Ninety percent of that act is law and remains law, regardless of what we do here today.

"The portion of the law in dispute is the very controversial section that affects the basic civil liberties of the American people. The rights of our citizens, as guaranteed by the Constitution, should not be shoehorned into a tight timeframe: we should have the time for a vigorous and thorough debate. In the meantime, the overwhelming majority of the Patriot Act is in place, and will remain in effect.

"Mr. Speaker, there is a very crucial debate in this country today about the rights of American citizens to privacy, and about the proper role of the Congress and the courts in assuring that no one - not even the President - tramples on those basic private rights without complying with the law. In this atmosphere, it is appropriate to give additional time to examine the implications of these controversial provisions of the Patriot Act."

http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=1343

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