USA Patriot Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006

USA PATRIOT ACT ADDITIONAL REAUTHORIZING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2006 -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 14, 2006)

SPEECH OF
HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
OF ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2006

* Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 2271, the PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act, which does not correct the core problems with the original act. Republicans and Democrats alike have asked for moderate changes that would have ensured that these extraordinary new powers are directed solely at terrorists and that each new power had meaningful court review. These efforts that would have put the PATRIOT Act in line with the Constitution and American values were ignored. Not only does the bill remain deeply flawed, S. 2271 was brought to the House under suspension, a procedure limiting debate to 40 minutes and preventing any amendments to address the many concerns expressed by organizations and many of my colleagues.

* Under S. 2271, the government will still be able to use National Security Letters and secret orders under section 215 to obtain a wide array of private, confidential records--including the medical, financial, library, and bookstore and gun purchase records of individual Americans. The bill requires no evidence linking those records to a suspected terrorist or spy, requires no court oversight or independent review of these secret orders, and prohibits the recipient of such an order from challenging the legality of the order for a year.

* Second, this bill adds no meaningful protection for library records. It only exempts libraries from National Security Letters if they don't offer Internet access--and the American Library Association puts the number of libraries without Internet access near zero. With over 30,000 national security letters issued every year and two federal courts ruling NSLs unconstitutional, I continue to have strong concerns that this bill does nothing to protect bookstores, libraries, and their customers from excessive searches by the government.

* Third, under this bill the government can still conduct secret physical searches of homes and offices under a vague standard; and notice can be delayed for weeks, months, or even longer. The Justice Department admits that at least 88 percent of such searches conducted between fall of 2001 and spring of 2005 actually had nothing to do with terrorism. The government can search private homes of Americans who have no connection to terrorism and not even inform them that their home was searched.

* Finally, roving wiretaps provisions would allow the government agents to eavesdrop on innocent Americans' private conversations without first verifying that a terrorist suspect is actually using the facility or device involved. That means that, on a daily basis, the government can listen in on hundreds, maybe thousands of Americans' private conversations that may not have any connection to terrorism.

* Given the Bush Administration's extraordinary assertions of presidential power to authorize the National Security Agency (NSA) to engage in intrusive domestic spying of Americans, it is more vital than ever that Congress reasserts its rightful role by correcting the flaws in the PATRIOT Act. I join the majority of Americans who want to protect our Nation's security while preserving Constitutional freedoms and civil liberties. Towns, cities, counties and states have passed over 400 resolutions in opposition to the PATRIOT Act, including the City of Chicago and Evanston in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Sweeping and unnecessary Federal surveillance and unchecked law enforcement powers undermine the rights that are the cornerstone of our democracy.

* The PATRIOT Act debate is far from over: secret record searches must be reformed so they are focused on suspected foreign terrorists and not used to invade the private records of ordinary Americans. Congress can, and must, take steps to fix the Patriot Act to keep America both safe and free. I urge my colleagues to reject the PATRIOT Act and instead call for meaningful checks on the PATRIOT Act's extraordinary powers.

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