Conference Report on H.R. 3199, USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3199, USA PATRIOT IMPROVEMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 22, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2005

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to the conference report to the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Mr. Speaker, I stated after the House voted on H.R. 3199 in July, that it was my hope that the conference committee would temper the extremes that are present in this legislation, and that the conferees would keep the American people's respect for privacy and desire for freedom in mind, I do not believe that this conference report reflects those ideals.

National security, homeland security and the collection of intelligence need to be balanced with the fundamental freedoms and civil liberties granted to Americans by our Constitution. Terrorism is a real threat to our security, but so are laws that threaten our liberty by allowing an over-zealous government to infringe on the privacy of individuals, based on vague, undefined, and at times, ``classified'' evidence. It is possible to be safe, and free, and to protect security while still respecting civil liberties. Unfortunately, this conference report fails to recognize this reality and come to bipartisan agreement in protecting both the security and civil liberties of Americans.

I voted in favor of the motion to recommit, which would have replaced the text of the conference report with the text of the original bill passed by the Senate. The original Senate bill included far more protections for civil liberties than this conference report. That Senate-passed bill would have included a process of judicial review for recipients of a National Security Letter, as well as a standard requiring the Government to show a connection to a suspected terrorist or organization when requesting business or library records. This conference report before me today only requires the Government to demonstrate ``relevance'' in an investigation.

This conference report makes 14 of 16 controversial PATRIOT Act provisions permanent. In making these provisions permanent, Congress is relinquishing its responsibility to review their use, granting more permanent power to the executive branch. Congressional oversight has been maintained only through the two provisions scheduled to sunset in 4 years, as well as through the inclusion of a ``lone wolf' provision, also scheduled to sunset in 4 years. Congress has a responsibility to check the power of the executive branch, not cede that authority, potentially threatening the civil liberties of our citizens. The conference report voted on today unfortunately fails to safeguard individual privacy rights, and allows the Government, with little burden of proof, to scrutinize nearly every aspect of a person's life.

It has been said in this debate that we must sacrifice some of our freedoms in the name of security. This is the wrong approach, and the American people have the right to expect better from Congress. We cannot allow terrorism to erode either our national security or our civil liberties--both present a danger to this country. I urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report, and support both the rights and security of the American people.

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