USA Patriot Act 5-Week Extension

USA PATRIOT ACT 5-WEEK EXTENSION -- (House of Representatives - February 01, 2006)

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in total opposition to the extension of this unpatriotic act.

The NSA's warrantless domestic spying scandal has shown how this President has a tendency to overstep the rule of law.

Expanding the administration's powers, in light of these recent developments, may even be unnecessary.

That said, we should be repealing these undemocratic provisions, not continuing to expand government's reach into the private lives of the American people.

Since 2001, the PATRIOT Act has been used more than 150 times to secretly search private homes, and nearly 90 percent of those cases had nothing to do with terrorism.

Americans have rejected provisions in this legislation like sneak-and-peek searches, national security letters, and roving John Doe wiretaps.

And Americans have rejected unwarranted searches of private residences, libraries, businesses, and medical records.

I don't know how much clearer we need to be.

All the administration's word games and sugar-coating will do nothing to change the fact that we can protect our nation and protect civil liberties at the same time.

The PATRIOT Act fails to do so.

Vote "no" on this extension, and keep our civil liberties and our civil rights off the chopping board.

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