CNN Inside Politics - Transcript

CNN Inside Politics - Transcript
Tuesday, July 26, 2005

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

CROWLEY: A short time ago I spoke with Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. She is chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. We discussed a range of security issues, including the debate over the proposed reauthorization of the Patriot Act. I started by asking her if she thinks the American people are fully informed about what is in the Patriot Act?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: I don't know that the American people are familiar with the details of the Patriot Act. But I think they believe that the law enforcement tools need to be brought up to date and strengthened in order for us to more effectively pursue terrorists. It's a difficult balance that we always have to be striking between increasing security and making sure that we're safeguarding our personal liberties.

CROWLEY: So -- and that's really my question. I mean, we're looking at things like how soon after you go into a suspect's house and search it do you actually have to tell him? How soon after you take medical records and look through them and store them, do you have to tell somebody?

Those are pretty fundamental rights to privacy. Does anything about this Patriot Act as it came out of the House bother you?

COLLINS: I think the Senate version is a better version of the Patriot Act extension. I do support an extension of the law, but the Senate did a little bit different approach that makes sure there's a strong judicial role. I think that's key. I think as long as you have the involvement of a court to authorize searches, to authorize wiretaps, that adds an important protection, because it ensures that law enforcement has to answer to someone, prove the case. And one of the changes made by the Senate was to increase the standard that the prosecutor would have to -- or the FBI would have to show the court in order to authorize some of these searches.

CROWLEY: Now, which brings me to TSA, which we just recently found out had, in fact, collected, stored, saved information on 250,000 people without telling those people -- without in fact telling you. I mean they're moving to rectify it, as I understand. Isn't that the sort of thing the American public needs to be worried about?

COLLINS: Yes. And that was very disappointing, because TSA has been working on an improved screening system for a long time. I and many, many others have warned them repeatedly about the importance of complying with the Privacy Act requirements. And there's just no excuse that once again the Government Accountability Office has found the TSA does not comply fully with the Privacy Act requirements.

We've got to assure the American public that screening systems such as these are going to be done right. And that's one reason that I'm such a strong supporter of the new Privacy and Civil Liberties Board that is created by the Intelligence Reform Act that Senator Lieberman and I authored last year.

CROWLEY: Senator, you're also part of the so-called Gang of 14. I wanted to ask you about the nomination of Judge Roberts and a couple things that have come up. The documents, the White House has said, look, you can have the documents from the White House counsel's office, but not from the time that he served in the solicitor general's office. Is that acceptable?

COLLINS: That sounds like a fair compromise to me. Clearly we need the documents to make an informed vote on Judge Roberts, but I think that some of the Democrats are really pushing the envelope on this -- that they're deliberately seeking documents that they know are protected by attorney-client privilege. And I just hope we can have a fair and dignified process. I'm optimistic that ultimately we will.

CROWLEY: The other thing that's caused a stir is Judge Roberts' membership or non-membership in the Federalist Society. Anything wrong with joining the Federalist Society?

COLLINS: Nothing at all. It's a respectable group. Just as Justice Ginsberg's previous membership in the ACLU doesn't bother me either.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0507/26/ip.01.html