[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 168 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3199, USA PATRIOT IMPROVEMENT AND 
                      REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my 
opposition to the conference report to the reauthorization of the USA 
PATRIOT Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I stated after the House voted on H.R. 3199 in July, 
that it was my hope that the conference committee would temper the 
extremes that are present in this legislation, and that the conferees 
would keep the American people's respect for privacy and desire for 
freedom in mind, I do not believe that this conference report reflects 
those ideals.
  National security, homeland security and the collection of 
intelligence need to be balanced with the fundamental freedoms and 
civil liberties granted to Americans by our Constitution. Terrorism is 
a real threat to our security, but so are laws that threaten our 
liberty by allowing an over-zealous government to infringe on the 
privacy of individuals, based on vague, undefined, and at times, 
``classified'' evidence. It is possible to be safe, and free, and to 
protect security while still respecting civil liberties. Unfortunately, 
this conference report fails to recognize this reality and come to 
bipartisan agreement in protecting both the security and civil 
liberties of Americans.
  I voted in favor of the motion to recommit, which would have replaced 
the text of the conference report with the text of the original bill 
passed by the Senate. The original Senate bill included far more 
protections for civil liberties than this conference report. That 
Senate-passed bill would have included a process of judicial review for 
recipients of a National Security Letter, as well as a standard 
requiring the Government to show a connection to a suspected terrorist 
or organization when requesting business or library records. This 
conference report before me today only requires the Government to 
demonstrate ``relevance'' in an investigation.
  This conference report makes 14 of 16 controversial PATRIOT Act 
provisions permanent. In making these provisions permanent, Congress is 
relinquishing its responsibility to review their use, granting more 
permanent power to the executive branch. Congressional oversight has 
been maintained only through the two provisions scheduled to sunset in 
4 years, as well as through the inclusion of a ``lone wolf' provision, 
also scheduled to sunset in 4 years. Congress has a responsibility to 
check the power of the executive branch, not cede that authority, 
potentially threatening the civil liberties of our citizens. The 
conference report voted on today unfortunately fails to safeguard 
individual privacy rights, and allows the Government, with little 
burden of proof, to scrutinize nearly every aspect of a person's life.
  It has been said in this debate that we must sacrifice some of our 
freedoms in the name of security. This is the wrong approach, and the 
American people have the right to expect better from Congress. We 
cannot allow terrorism to erode either our national security or our 
civil liberties--both present a danger to this country. I urge my 
colleagues to vote against this conference report, and support both the 
rights and security of the American people.

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