Ensign Applauds Patriot Act Extension

ENSIGN APPLAUDS PATRIOT ACT EXTENSION

Measures to fight Meth also included

Senator John Ensign today applauded President Bush's signing of the renewal of the Patriot Act, which took place this afternoon at the White House. The Patriot Act has been revised by Congress to enhance the balance between effective protection from terrorists and the privacy of American citizens.

"We cannot demand adequate protection without giving our law enforcement agents the tools they need to keep us safe," Ensign said. "The Patriot Act enables law enforcement agents in their battle against terrorists, while maintaining the important privacy rights Americans are guaranteed under the Constitution. I'm very pleased to see President Bush sign the renewal of the Patriot Act."

In addition to anti-terrorism provisions, the Patriot Act now also includes measures to combat the illegal sale and use of methamphetamine, or meth. The Combat Meth Act, part of the Patriot Act, restricts the sale of necessary meth ingredients, imposes tougher penalties for meth traffickers and enhances international enforcement of anti-meth trafficking laws.

"Meth is ruining lives in Nevada and throughout the country, and a crackdown on its sale and use is absolutely the right thing to do," said Ensign, who worked for inclusion of the Combat Meth Act. "This deadly and highly addictive drug is, unfortunately, inexpensive and readily available. We must do all we can to assist law enforcement officers and prosecutors as they work to curb the use of meth everywhere."

http://ensign.senate.gov/media/pressapp/record.cfm?id=252432&&