[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 100 (Thursday, July 21, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H6210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PATRIOT ACT
(Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak out today on
the leadership's abuse of power on the PATRIOT Act. We bring the
PATRIOT Act to the floor today under a closed process. Many amendments,
good solid bipartisan amendments, were denied. I offered two amendments
with broad support. They were denied.
The first created a strengthened civil liberties board called for by
the 9/11 Commission. This board would protect our constitutional
freedoms. The second, the Right to Read Act, would protect library
patrons from arbitrary searches. It would bring the judiciary into the
equation to protect our freedoms.
I believe that we can bring terrorists to justice and still protect
our constitutional freedoms, but we will not do it under this process
today. This process of not allowing debate on an amendment is deeply
flawed. It runs roughshod over our rights. The leadership should be
ashamed.
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