Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce "Safe Act" to Remedy Problems in Patriot Act

BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS INTRODUCE "SAFE ACT" TO REMEDY PROBLEMS IN PATRIOT ACT

SAFE Act reins in 'sneak & peek' search warrants, curbs unrestricted roving wiretaps & imposes reasonable limits on FBI seizure of records

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Larry Craig (R-ID), Russell Feingold (D-WI) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) today urged the adoption of a bipartisan bill that would amend a number of troublesome provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act which grant the Federal Bureau of Investigation broad, unchecked power to monitor American citizens.

Durbin and the others contend that portions of the PATRIOT Act, which was approved by Congress in the wake of the September 11 terrorist strikes, raises significant civil liberties concerns. In fact, five states and over 375 cities and counties across the country, including Chicago, Illinois, have passed resolutions expressing concern about the PATRIOT Act.

The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act, authored by Durbin and Craig, is a bipartisan bill designed to impose reasonable limits on law enforcement's authority without hampering their ability to investigate and prevent terrorism. Passage of the Craig-Durbin bill will protect the constitutional rights of American citizens while preserving the powers of law enforcement to fight terrorism. It would retain all of the expanded powers of the PATRIOT Act but place important limits on these powers.

"I believe it is possible to combat terrorism and preserve our individual freedoms at the same time. The PATRIOT Act has crossed the line on several key areas of civil liberties, and this legislation restores the necessary checks and balances to the system," Durbin said.

The FBI now has broad authority to seize sensitive personal information of innocent Americans, including library and medical records; FBI agents may conduct a "sneak and peek" search of private homes, not notifying residents of the search until after a "reasonable period"; and federal law enforcement agents may obtain a "John Doe" roving wiretap, which does not specify the target of the wiretap or the place to be wiretapped.

The SAFE Act would impose reasonable limits on the FBI's seizure of business and library records, "sneak and peek" warrants," and roving wiretaps. It would not change pre-PATRIOT Act law in any way. Under the SAFE Act, the FBI would still have wide-ranging authority to combat terrorism. At the same time, the bill would protect innocent Americans from unchecked government surveillance.

"We're not proposing a full repeal of the PATRIOT Act. I voted for the that bill, as did the vast majority of my colleagues in Congress. I believed then, and I still believe, that the PATRIOT Act made a number of reasonable and necessary changes in the law. But in some cases the new law goes too far, and we should amend those provisions to reflect every American citizen's right to be both safe and free," Durbin said.

Durbin, Craig, Feingold and Salazar were joined at the afternoon press conference by former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), who chairs Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, a network of individuals and organizations that oppose aspects of the Patriot Act; and Gregory Nojeim, the associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union's legislative office in Washington.

The SAFE Act is supported by a broad coalition of advocacy groups from across the political spectrum, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Conservative Union, the American Library Association, Association of American Publishers, Center for Democracy and Technology, Free Congress Foundation, the Association of American Publishers, Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, and the League of Women Voters.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=236435&&