[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E349-E350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    USA PATRIOT ACT ADDITIONAL REAUTHORIZING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2006

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 2271, the 
PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act, which does not 
correct the core problems with the original act. Republicans and 
Democrats alike have asked for moderate changes that would have ensured 
that these extraordinary new powers are directed solely at terrorists 
and that each new power had meaningful court review. These efforts that 
would have put the PATRIOT Act in line with the Constitution and 
American values were ignored. Not only does the bill remain deeply 
flawed, S. 2271 was brought to the House under suspension, a procedure 
limiting debate to 40 minutes and preventing any amendments to address 
the many concerns expressed by organizations and many of my colleagues.
  Under S. 2271, the government will still be able to use National 
Security Letters and secret orders under section 215 to obtain a wide 
array of private, confidential records--including the medical, 
financial, library, and bookstore and gun purchase records of 
individual Americans. The bill requires no evidence linking those 
records to a suspected terrorist or spy, requires no court oversight or 
independent review of these secret orders, and prohibits the recipient 
of such an order from challenging the legality of the order for a year.
  Second, this bill adds no meaningful protection for library records. 
It only exempts libraries from National Security Letters if they don't 
offer Internet access--and the American Library Association puts the 
number of libraries without Internet access near zero. With over 30,000 
national security letters issued every year and two federal courts 
ruling NSLs unconstitutional, I continue to have strong concerns that 
this bill does nothing to protect bookstores, libraries, and their 
customers from excessive searches by the government.
  Third, under this bill the government can still conduct secret 
physical searches of homes and offices under a vague standard; and 
notice can be delayed for weeks, months, or even longer. The Justice 
Department admits that at least 88 percent of such searches conducted 
between fall of 2001 and spring of 2005 actually had nothing to do with 
terrorism. The government can search private homes of Americans who 
have no connection to terrorism and not even inform them that their 
home was searched.
  Finally, roving wiretaps provisions would allow the government agents 
to eavesdrop on innocent Americans' private conversations without first 
verifying that a terrorist suspect is actually using the facility or 
device involved. That means that, on a daily basis, the government can 
listen in on hundreds, maybe thousands of Americans' private 
conversations that may not have any connection to terrorism.
  Given the Bush Administration's extraordinary assertions of 
presidential power to authorize the National Security Agency (NSA) to 
engage in intrusive domestic spying of Americans, it is more vital than 
ever that Congress reasserts its rightful role by correcting the flaws 
in the PATRIOT Act. I join the majority of Americans who want to 
protect our Nation's security while preserving Constitutional freedoms 
and civil liberties. Towns, cities, counties and states have passed 
over 400 resolutions in opposition to the PATRIOT Act, including the 
City of Chicago and Evanston in the 9th Congressional District of 
Illinois. Sweeping and unnecessary Federal surveillance and unchecked 
law enforcement powers undermine the rights that are the cornerstone of 
our democracy.

[[Page E350]]

  The PATRIOT Act debate is far from over: secret record searches must 
be reformed so they are focused on suspected foreign terrorists and not 
used to invade the private records of ordinary Americans. Congress can, 
and must, take steps to fix the Patriot Act to keep America both safe 
and free. I urge my colleagues to reject the PATRIOT Act and instead 
call for meaningful checks on the PATRIOT Act's extraordinary powers.

                          ____________________