[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PATRIOT ACT REAUTHORIZATION

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I hold the Constitution dear 
and I also believe that we can secure our homeland and we can find the 
right way to do the PATRIOT Act, but it concerns me when we have 
allowed the expansion of this act to expand the surveillance of 
Americans.
  We did not do what we should have done today because, in fact, 
national security letters can be issued to any American without showing 
any culpability or affiliation with terrorist acts or terrorists. In 
addition, our libraries are not protected because if you have one 
Internet service at your library, national security letters can be 
issued, and the gag order that could have been issued under the old 
bill immediately now has to wait a year. So that means that you are 
going to be raided with any materials that the government asks for and 
you cannot even have a gag order issued.
  I know that we can protect the Constitution, the rights of Americans 
and still protect national security. Why did we not do it right? This 
is not the right PATRIOT Act, and for that reason, I had to vote 
``no.'' I hope we get it right some day and protect the Constitution.

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