Congress Speaks
Congress Explains the USA PATRIOT
Act
The Patriot Act Protects Both the Nation and Citizens’
Rights
Senator Baucus (D-MT) said, “I strongly support
this important counter-terrorism bill because it will give
law enforcement officials the flexibility and resources to
eradicate acts of terrorism. . . . There’s a thin line between
increasing the powers of the federal government and maintaining
Americans’ and Montanans’ civil liberties. I believe the bill
we passed today balances the needs of protecting the country
from terrorism and protecting our rights as citizens of this
great country.” (Senator Baucus, Press Release, October 25,
2001)
The Patriot Act Applies Pre-Existing Tools to
the Fight Against Terrorism
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) said, “[T]he FBI could
get a wiretap to investigate the mafia, but they could not
get one to investigate terrorists. To put it bluntly, that
was crazy! What's good for the mob should be good for terrorists.”
(Senator Biden, Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Helps Ensure Coordination
Senator Edwards (D-NC) said, “We simply cannot
prevail in the battle against terrorism if the right hand
of our government has no idea what the left hand is doing.”
(Senator Edwards, Press Release, October 26, 2001)
The Patriot Act In One Word: Balance
Senator Schumer (D-NY) said, “If there
is one key word that underscores this bill, it is ‘balance.’
. . . The balance between the need to update our laws given
the new challenges and the need to maintain our basic freedoms
which distinguish us from our enemies is real.” (Senator Schumer,
Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Addresses Coordination, Communication,
and Cooperation
Senator Snowe (R-ME) said, “One of the
most critical elements of this anti-terrorism package—which
also includes expanded authority to hunt down and identify
terrorist activity within our own borders—addresses the ‘Three
C’s’ that have been lacking among those federal agencies that
are integral to preventing terrorism: coordination, communication,
and cooperation.” (Senator Snowe, Congressional Record,
October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Combats Terrorism Without Losing
Constitutional Freedoms
Senator Levin (D-MI) said, “[T]he antiterrorism
bill [Patriot Act] which the Senate is about to pass reflects
the sentiments the American people have expressed since the
events of September 11 -- that we must act swiftly and strongly
to defend our country without sacrificing our most cherished
values. The Senate antiterrorism legislation meets that test.
It responds to these dangerous times by giving law enforcement
agencies important new tools to use in combating terrorism
without denigrating the principles of due process and fairness
embedded in our Constitution.” (Senator Levin, Congressional
Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Fills the Gaps in Our Counter-Terrorism
Strategy
Senator DeWine (R-OH) said, “It’s imperative
to provide our law enforcement agencies with the necessary
tools to help protect Americans and prevent the types of cowardly
acts that were committed against our great nation on September
11th. . . . This package goes a long way to fill
the gaps in our national and international counter-terrorism
strategy.” (Senator DeWine, Press Release, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Is a Common-Sense Update
Senator Fitzgerald (R-IL) said, “Much of the
new anti-terrorism law is a common-sense update of existing
procedures, adapting investigators' techniques - and the legal
hurdles to which they are subject - to the new generation
of technology. . . . Another important change made by the
new law is the improved access that it provides to key information
about terror suspects, especially information discovered in
grand-jury proceedings. . . . Finally - and perhaps most importantly
- the anti-terrorism legislation recognizes that we cannot
hope to stop terror simply by catching terrorists only after
they have infiltrated our enormous country. The new law increases
immigration officials' power to make sure that terrorists
never arrive and settle here in the first place.” (Senator
Fitzgerald, Op-Ed, “Patriot Act Good Step in Fighting Terrorism,”
The Pantagraph, November 18, 2001)
The Patriot Act Allows Law Enforcement to Keep
Up with Modern Technology
Senator Biden (D-DE) said, “The anti-terrorism
bill we consider today is measured and prudent. . . . It takes
a number of important steps in waging an effective war on
terrorism. It allows law enforcement to keep up with the modern
technology these terrorists are using. The bill contains several
provisions which are identical or nearly identical to those
I previously proposed.” (Senator Biden, Congressional Record,
October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Combats
Terrorism Without Compromising Civil Liberties
Representative Capito (R-WV) said, “Congress
has also passed a comprehensive anti-terrorism bill [the Patriot
Act] that protects the safety of all Americans while preserving
our cherished freedoms and liberty. This plan provides greater
sharing of information by law enforcement, enhances penalties
for terrorism, updates wiretapping laws to keep up with changing
technologies like cell phones, voicemail and e-mail, strengthens
control of border abuse by foreign terrorists-all without
compromising the civil liberties woven deep into our American
society.” (Representative Capito, Weekly Column, Representative
Capito Website, October 26, 2001)
The Patriot Act Protects Us Without Sacrificing
Our Civil Liberties
Senator Hagel (R-NE) said, “This legislation
[the Patriot Act] gives our law enforcement officials the
tools they need to help protect the United States. . . . The
laws that protect us must be relevant to the dangers that
threaten us. We have done this without sacrificing the essential
civil liberties to which every American is entitled.” (Senator
Hagel, Press Release, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Wages War on Terrorists and Protects
Constitutional Freedoms
Senator Hatch (R-UT) said, “[T]he President of
the United States asked Congress to pass legislation that
would provide our law enforcement and intelligence agencies
the tools they needed to wage war on the terrorists in our
midst. . . . At the same time, the President asked that, in
crafting these tools, we remain vigilant in protecting the
constitutional freedoms of all Americans -- certainly of all
law-abiding Americans. After several weeks of negotiations
. . . we have developed bipartisan consensus legislation that
will accomplish both of these goals.” (Senator Hatch, Congressional
Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Reflects the Balance of Civil
Liberties and Law Enforcement
Senator Daschle (D-SD) said, “This reflects the
balance between protection of civil liberties and privacy
with the need for greater law enforcement.” (Leon Bruneau,
“U.S. Senate Passes Anti-Terror Bill, Sends It to Bush for
Signature,” Agence France-Presse, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Keeps the Balance Between Law
Enforcement and Civil Liberties
Senator Biden (D-DE) said, “The agreement
reached has satisfied me that these provisions will not upset
the balance between strong law enforcement and protection
of our valued civil liberties. This bill is not perfect. No
one here claims it embodies all the answers to the question
of how best to fight terrorism. But I am confident that by
updating our surveillance laws, by taking terrorism as seriously
as we do organized crime, and by recognizing the important
role state and local law enforcement has to play in this campaign,
that we are taking a step in the right direction by passing
this bill today.” (Senator Biden, Congressional Record,
October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Starves Terrorist Financing
Representative Oxley (R-OH) said, “I rise in support
of the legislation, particularly the provisions in title III
which would represent the most comprehensive anti-money laundering
legislation which the House has considered in more than a
decade. The legislation gives the administration important
new tools with which to wage a global financial war on terrorism,
and to starve Osama bin Laden and others like him of the funding
needed to commit their acts of evil.” (Representative Oxley,
Congressional Record, October 23, 2001)
The Patriot Act Provided the Necessary Tools to
Fight Terrorism
Senator Feinstein (D-CA) said, “As we look back
at that massive, terrible incident on September 11, we try
to ascertain whether our Government had the tools necessary
to ferret out the intelligence that could have, perhaps, avoided
those events. The only answer all of us could come up with,
after having briefing after briefing, is we did not have those
tools. This bill aims to change that. This bill is a bill
whose time has come. This bill is a necessary bill. And I,
as a Senator from California, am happy to support it.” (Senator
Feinstein, Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Will Help Us Prevent Another Terrorist
Attack
Senator Hatch (R-UT) said, “I personally
believe that if these tools [in the Patriot Act] had been
in law—and we have been trying to get them there for years—we
would have caught those [9/11] terrorists. If these tools
could help us now to track down the perpetrators—if they will
help us in our continued pursuit of terrorists—then we should
not hesitate to enact these measures into law. God willing,
the legislation we pass today will enhance our abilities to
protect and prevent the American people from ever again being
violated as we were on September 11.” (Senator Hatch, Congressional
Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Helps Law Enforcement Target Terrorist
Financing
Senator Kerry (D-MA) said, "I support the
conference report before the Senate today. . . if one is going
to cope with an al-Qaida, with a terrorist entity such as
Osama bin Laden, who moves his money into this legitimate
marketplace, law enforcement has to have the ability to be
able to hold people accountable where it is legitimate to
do so. . . . With the passage of this legislation, terrorist
organizations will not be able to move funds as easily and
they will not be able to have their people move within our
country with bank accounts that we cannot penetrate, with
major sources of funding transferred to them from the Middle
East or elsewhere to empower them to be able to do the kind
of things they did on September 11." (Senator Kerry,
Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Is a Bipartisan Compromise
House Speaker Hastert (R-IL) said, “I am most
pleased that this bipartisan compromise knocks down current
legal barriers that prevent the FBI, CIA and other law enforcement
officials from sharing information with one another. . . Our
goal must be stopping terrorists . . . rather than wasting
time, energy and resources fighting bureaucratic legal hurdles.”
("House OKs Anti-Terrorism Bill,” Philadelphia Daily
News, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Is a Common-Sense Approach to Fighting
Terrorism
Representative Pitts (R-PA) said, “The Patriot Act
is a common-sense approach to an international emergency.
. . . The attacks of September 11, 2001 marked the beginning
of a new era in history. We’re at war, and we need to give
those who are fighting it the tools they need to win.” (Representative
Pitts, Press Release, October 26, 2001)
The Patriot Act Ensures the Tools to Track and
Target Terrorists
Senator Santorum (R-PA) said, “The anti-terrorism
bill [the Patriot Act] will better enable our federal law
enforcement communities in detaining and apprehending the
criminals and groups associated with terrorism and its many
forms of destruction. The bill also provides the tools necessary
to initiate more aggressive involvement by our local law enforcement
communities in the national fight against terrorism. . . .
This bill maximizes law enforcement's ability to locate criminals
through surveillance and wiretapping provisions and helps
intelligence communities to coordinate information sharing
on terrorist activity.” (Senator Santorum, Press Release,
October 26, 2001)
The Patriot Act Provides Fair and Adequate Tools
Senator Schumer (D-NY) said, “[T]he scourge
of terrorism is going to be with us for a while. Law enforcement
has a lot of catching up to do. There is no question about
it. In this bill, at least, we give them fair and adequate
tools that do not infringe on our freedoms but, at the same
time, allows them to catch up a lot more quickly.” (Senator
Schumer, Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Takes Constitutional Steps
Senator Snowe (R-ME) said, “This Senate
legislation [the Patriot Act] is designed to offer the type
of strong measures necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks
on American soil. . . . With this legislation, we will take
reasonable, Constitutional steps to enhance electronic and
other forms of surveillance, without trampling on the rights
of Americans. We also institute critical measures to increase
information sharing by mandating access to the FBI’s National
Crime Information Center (NCIC), by the State Department,
and INS.” (Senator Snowe, Press Release, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Is Balanced, Comprehensive, and Bipartisan
Representative Oxley (R-OH) said, “[L]et me also
thank the administration for working closely with the committee
to ensure that the new legal authorities that the executive
branch will receive under this legislation are carefully tailored
to meet the nature of the threat that our Nation now confronts.
The bill that Members will have an opportunity to vote on
later tomorrow is balanced, comprehensive, and bipartisan.
It sends the strongest signal we can send to the terrorists
and to those countries that offer them aid and comfort that
the war against terrorism will be fought in the financial
theater as aggressively as the war now being waged by our
brave men and women in uniform.” (Representative Oxley, Congressional
Record, October 23, 2001)
The Patriot Act Triples Immigration and Customs
Agents
Senator Snowe (R-ME) said, “President
Bush signed into law landmark legislation [the Patriot Act]
designed to bring the full resources of the federal government
to bear in our war on terrorism. This bill includes provisions
I fought for to triple the number of immigration and customs
agents on our Northern border, and takes steps necessary to
meet the terrorist threat here at home.” (Senator Snowe, “Anti-Terrorism
Legislation Will Provide Greater National Security,” Weekly
Senate Update, October 26, 2001)
The Patriot Act Is in Accordance with Our Constitutional
Rights
Senator Specter (R-PA) said, “[I]t is
important that law enforcement have appropriate tools at their
disposal to combat terrorists. In the United States that means
careful legislation which is in accordance with our constitutional
rights and our civil liberties. I believe Congress has responded
appropriately in this matter with due deliberation . . . and
now have a good product.” (Senator Specter, Congressional
Record, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Cracks Open the Secret World of
Hawalas
Senator Bayh (D-IN) said, “This bill [the Patriot
Act] gives law enforcement new tools to crack open the secret
world of hawalas, and to crack down on those who are engaged
in illicit activities. . . . No longer will those who wish
to do us harm be able to legally move thousands of dollars
in and out of the country without any paper record of the
transaction.” (Senator Bayh, Press Release, October 25, 2001)
The Patriot Act Makes a Statement About Our Determination
to Eliminate Terrorism
Senator Graham (D-FL) said, “[I]t is my hope
that today as we pass this antiterrorism legislation and as
we will in future days take action on issues of resources
to fight antiterrorism and changes in organizational structure,
we will be making as significant a national statement about
our will and determination to eliminate the scourge of global
terrorism as previous generations did about other scourges
that afflicted our country.” (Senator Graham, Congressional
Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Modifies the Wall Between Foreign
Intelligence and Domestic Law Enforcement
Senator Schumer (D-NY) said, “When we
are facing a war where it is more likely that more civilians
will die than military personnel, the homefront is a warfront.
The old high wall between foreign intelligence and domestic
law enforcement has to be modified. The bill does a good job
of that. . . . The other provisions in the bill are good as
well.” (Senator Schumer, Congressional Record, October
25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Provides the Powers to Prevent
Terrorist Attacks
Representative Skelton (D-MO) said, “The anti-terrorism
bill [Patriot Act] will provide law enforcement officials
responsible for protecting American citizens with the intelligence
information and the powers they need to prevent terrorists
attacks, respond to attacks when necessary, and bring terrorist
criminals to justice.” (Representative Skelton, Weekly Column,
Representative Skelton Website, October 28, 2001)
The Patriot Act Aids in the Collection of Intelligence
Information
Representative Lofgren (D-CA) said, “And I frankly
think we think the Patriot Act will go a long ways to making
sure that our agencies that are collecting intelligence information
get that information to the agencies in charge of immigration
and consular affairs.” (Representative Lofgren, House Judiciary
Immigration and Claims Subcommittee Hearing, December 19,
2001)
The Patriot Act Allows the FBI to Focus on Investigations
Senator Edwards (D-NC) said, “When I met with
FBI agents in Charlotte shortly after September 11, they told
me their number-one priority was to streamline the process
for conducting investigations of foreign agents operating
in the United States. We’ve done that. . . . We have made
sure the FBI can focus on investigations, not filling out
unnecessary paperwork.” (Senator Edwards, Press Release, October
26, 2001)
The Patriot Act Advances Our Ability to Deal with
Terrorism
Senator Dorgan (D-ND) said, “The legislation
[the Patriot Act] that is on the floor is legislation I will
vote for and support. I think it advances our country’s interests
in dealing with the issue of terrorism.” (Senator Dorgan,
Congressional Record, October 25, 2001)
[view full statement]
The Patriot Act Is a Good Balance
Senator Boxer (D-CA) said, “It’s [the Patriot
Act] a good balance.” (Mark Sandalow, “House Easily Approves
Anti-Terrorism Package,” The San Francisco Chronicle,
October 25, 2001)
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