[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1713-E1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE USA PATRIOT AND TERRORISM PREVENTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 
                              (H.R. 3199)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my 
opposition to the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.
  We live in a world in which vital issues of national security, 
homeland security and intelligence gathering need to be balanced with 
the most fundamental freedoms and civil liberties granted to the 
American people by our Constitution. Terrorism is a real threat to our 
security, but laws that empower over zealous government officials to 
enter the private lives of individuals and ``sneak and peak'' based on 
suspicion is also dangerous. There was an opportunity to find a common 
sense, bipartisan agreement on protecting our security and our 
liberties that has been ignored by this legislation.
  There are sixteen provisions of The USA Patriot Act that the Bush 
Administration proposes to make permanent without sunsets.

[[Page E1714]]

The bill before the House made 14 of these provisions permanent with 
two of the provisions scheduled to sunset in ten years.
  The purpose of a sunset is to allow Congress oversight over the 
implementation of the law. By making these fourteen provisions 
permanent, Congress abdicates its responsibility to review these 
provisions in favor of granting power to the executive branch. As co-
equal branches of government, I strongly believe Congress has a 
responsibility to check the power of the executive branch, not cede 
authority that can threaten the civil liberties of our citizens today 
and tomorrow.
  Provisions in the Patriot Act continue to allow for government access 
to business records, private e-mail accounts, library reading lists and 
the monitoring of Internet habits. Credit card information and other 
private records including medical, employment and personal financial 
records can also be monitored. Virtually every aspect of an 
individual's life can come under profound scrutiny by government 
officials based on suspicion. This to me is frightening and to millions 
of honest, hardworking Americans.
  Fighting terrorism, organized crime and narco-terrorism is critical 
to keeping our communities and families safe. The men and women in law 
enforcement from local, state and Federal agencies--and throughout the 
criminal justice and counter-terrorism systems--have my deep admiration 
and respect. Their job is difficult, but this legislation fails to 
provide additional resources to confront threats and keep our 
communities safe. It instead creates endless opportunities for the 
violation of civil liberties and the freedoms we deeply cherish as a 
nation.
  Many people speak of sacrificing some of our freedoms in the name of 
security. This is a formula that empowers terrorists and encourages the 
very enemies of freedom. It is the wrong approach. I applaud my 
Republican colleagues who have joined Democrats in working for a 
common-sense Patriot Act that protects our security and our liberties. 
It is my hope that as this bill moves to conference committee with the 
Senate that the extremes in this legislation are tempered by a wisdom 
that embraces the American people's respect for privacy and desire for 
freedom.

                          ____________________